Down Royal is back with its first jumps meeting of the season and we start with the Maiden Hurdle over 2 miles 6 furlongs and Fury Road for Gordon Elliott looks the one to beat.
The five year old gelding is making his debut over hurdles and looks a nice gelding winning one of his three bumpers last season showing a very progressive nature.
He was bought to be better over obstacles and gets his first chance today, he cost €205,000 as a three year old and looks a very useful novice.
The Grade Three Mares Novice Hurdle really gets the Irish meeting going and in the two mile contest we are looking for a quick-fire double from Gordon Elliott with Daylight Katie.
The six year old mare was a very nice bumper horse last season running in some good events winning at Gowran before running smartly in behind Gypsy Island in her last start at Punchestown.
She made her hurdles debut at Fairyhouse at the start of the month and got off to winning start beating a nice field of novice hurdlers and looks as if sky is the limit for her.
The Grade Two WKD Hurdle has seen some great renewals of this race over the years and this seasons again looks to be a cracker with plenty of horses who went to the Cheltenham festival last year being unleashed.
We have sided with another Gordon Elliott trained horse in Coko Beach who last season gave his best run at Cheltenham when a smart second behind Band Of Outlaws in the Grade three Fred Winter Hurdle.
He has already had one start this season at Punchestown and he made it a winning one, jumping well all the way round to blow away the cobs nicely which gives her the advantage of already having a run before this contest.
The Beginners Chase sees the return of Samcro who if taking to fences like he did on his first season over hurdles he will be a force to be reckoned with.
The seven year old gelding had a torrid time of things last season suffering injury setbacks and not looking like the horse of old right from the outset.
Now going over the bigger obstacles and having plenty of time to recover he could turn back into the horse we know and love and it would make the novice chase division a whole lot mote interesting if starting well here.
The penultimate race of the afternoon and the Ladbrokes Handicap Chase over two miles and Ar Eagla Na Heagla for trainer Francis Casey looks to have a big chance on the weights.
This five year old mare is the bottom weight and has been in some smart form with two decent place efforts in his last two contests at Sligo and Downpatrick.
She loves soft ground and that is exactly what she will get on Friday and having previous at winning over this distance should see her give a bold bid.
The final runner of the first day of two at Down Royal is the Noel Meade trained Powerful Ted who heads into this bumper with the strongest form on offer.
The four year old gelding scored on debut at Galway on Sunday and in soft ground, taking to racing really well and showing a clear turn of foot.
He has been turned around fairly quickly but it looks like freshness might be the key with his horse and there is not a lot stopping him from landing a quick double.
