N.H. racing ar Clonmel, Ludlow and Taunton

Jumps racing today at three tracks, at Clonmel in Ireland and Ludlow and Taunton , both in the West of England. The best racing takes place at the Irish track and Snowy Morning (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh) is the day´s most interesting runner. The Grand National third contests the Grade Two Clonmel Oil Chase over 2 1/2 miles at 15.25 CET, but has to concede quite a lot of weight to Glenfinn Captain (Tom Taaffe/ Barry Geraghty), a recent easy CD winner, and the useful Clopf (Edward O´Grady/ Andrew McNamara). Mullins is also strongly represented in the listed mares´ chase half an hour later, where he saddles Pomme Tiepy (Walsh) and Candy Girl (David Casey); they are the best two on ratings, but Rory´s Sister (Charlie Swan/ DG Hogan) has finished 1/2 on all her 4 starts this season and could make her fitness advantage tell. Some promising types tine up in the introductory hurdle at 16.30 at Ludlow, notably Mighty Bold (Charlie Egerton/ Tony McCoy), Awespme George (Alan King/ Cha rlie Huxley) and the Irish challenger Ardglen, while The Randy Bishop (Tony Carroll/ Lee Edwards), going like a winner when he fell late on last week, can make amends in the 2 mile handicap chase at 16.00. 18 runner-ckass 5 handicaps over hurdles are not normally good betting mediums, but Thursday´s Knight Jim Best/ Marc HGoldstein) looks thrown in for the 15.30 race after winning last week by 20 lengths; he has been raised 24lbs for that win, but races off his old rating today. At Taunton, the novice hurdle at 15.40 is the best event. Obviousy there will be a great deal of interest in Thundering Star (Paul Nicholls/ Sam Thomas), easily the best of these on te flat and last time out 7th in the Ascot Gold Cup (!), but Humble Opinion (Alan King/ Wayne Hutchinson) is another potentially useful newcomer, while Hot Diamond (Philip Hobbs/ Tom O´Brien) and Right Stuff (Gary and Jamie Moore), though below these on flat form, have both already shown ability over hurdles. Nicholls an d Thomas can follow up with Kerry´s Star in the handicap hurdle at 16.10, while the 3 mile handicap chase half an hour lies lies between top-weight The Venetian (Vic Dartnall/ Christian Williams) and Iris´s Prince (JL and RP Flint), who really ought to to have won last week, following 10 successive point-to-point victories.