Harvest festival kicks off with The Storyteller in a three-runner treat

4.30 Listowel
Kerry Group Chase | 2m4f | 5yo+ | RTV/TG4

After being locked out last year, racegoers will be handed back the keys to the kingdom for the next seven days as Listowel welcomes a live audience for its hugely popular harvest festival.

The feature event of the week is the Guinness Kerry National on Wednesday, won in thrilling fashion by Cabaret Queen 12 months ago, but the opening-day highlight is undoubtedly the Kerry Group Chase (4.30).

Who needs quantity when you have this sort of quality and 2,000 racegoers will get to witness the best chase run anywhere so far this season.

For the second year in a row there are only three runners in the conditions chase but, unlike last year when 4-7 shot Peregrine Run came down at the first and left Djingle and Ornua to fight it out, this year's trio are top class. They are rated 161, 162 and 163 and have ran in 22 Grade 1 races between them.

The Storyteller has two Grade 1 wins on his CV. The versatile ten-year-old swooped late to land the Champion Chase at Down Royal last October and the first of his victories in the top flight was back in 2018 when he won the Growise Champion Novice Chase, best remembered for Al Boum Photo running out at the final fence.

The Gordon Elliott-trained ten-year-old is the highest-rated of the three, but is only rated 1lb superior to Ballyoisin so it is no surprise to see smart 5lb claimer Jordan Gainford called up. That means he is giving only 3lb away to the Enda Bolger-trained tearaway.

Ballyoisin is a joy to watch in full flight. He returned from a 624-day absence to win a five-runner conditions event at Ballinrobe last month. Given he was officially rated 31lb better than Exit Poll and was actually in receipt of 5lb from that rival, he ought to have been winning the way he did.

That said, he was more than entitled to be ring-rusty after such a lengthy absence and there could be more to come now that the cobwebs have been blown away. He has everything in his favour here.

Neither The Storyteller nor Easy Game are natural front-runners so expect Ballyoisin to bounce out and try to make all. He won't be easily caught and the longer trip should not be a problem as he has won over 2m5f twice in the past.

It is hard to believe Easy Game is still only seven. He seems to have been around for ages and finishing runner-up to stablemate Royal Rendezvous in the Galway Plate was just the latest in a long list of fine efforts.

His three most recent wins have been in four, five and six-runner races so this small field won't pose a problem. The ground will be fine too and he has solid claims even if he must give 6lb to a race-fit Ballyoisin, who is 1lb better than him according to the handicapper and has a recent run under his belt.

Ballyoisin might have won at Ballinrobe, but he is almost certainly better going left-handed and if he gets into his usual rhythm here, he can make all.

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of The Storyteller
There might only be three runners but it's a competitive little race and will take a bit of winning. It's a nice starting point for The Storyteller and he's in good form but he'll come on for the run.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Easy Game
The conditions of the race don't favour us as he's running up against a genuine 162-rated performer in Ballyoisin and giving him weight. It won't be easy, but he ran very well in the Galway Plate and he goes there in good form.

Enda Bolger, trainer of Ballyoisin
He's in good nick. Things are in his favour weight-wise with the conditions so it looks a nice opportunity for him. He came out of Ballinrobe in good shape and I think going back left-handed again will suit him. The ground should be fine too. He doesn't want it too soft but I don't think it will be.

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