graded races in Ireland today

This is a holiday weekend in Ireland, with St.Patrick´s Day tomorrow, and both Limerick and Navan have decent cards on offer. The best race is the Grade Two mares novice chase at 16.40 CET at Limerick, where the consistent Byerley Babe (Robert Tyner/ Philip Enright) who won a similar race at Thurles in January, looks the best of the home team. However she has a 5 lbs penalty for that and Newmarket raider Baby Shine (Lucy Wadham/ Leighton Aspell) could be a big threat on these terms. Three hot favourites who look likely to win on the undercard are Kitten Rock(Edward O´Grady/ Paddy Mangan) at 15.10, Urticaine (Willie Mullins/ jockey as yet unknown, but obviously not Ruby) at 15.40, and Domination (Charlie Byrnes/ Davy Russell), who makes his chasing debut at 17.15 but boasts good form both on the flat and over hurdles.

Noel Meade showed at Cheltenham that his string is back in form and he could be the trainer to follow at Navan. He has 3 runners in the Grade C handicap chase at 17.35, and top-weight Ipsos du Berlais, with good claimer Ger Fox aboard, is our fancy. Meade can also take the novice hurdle at 17.00 with Festive Felon (Paul Carberry), while Barry Geraghty also looks in line for a double on Jessica Harrington´s Macnicholson at 15.,25 and Liz Doyle´s Le Vent d´Artan at 16.30.

Evan Williams is the leading trainer at Ffos Las and saddles 2 in the handicap hurdle at 16.50. The betting suggests that Still Believing (Conor Ring) is the main hope, but we also like German-bred Lava Lamp (Adam Wedge). a half-brother to Lady Marian who won this race in 2012. Venetia Williams (no relation) can take the conditional jockey´s handicap hurdle at 17.55 with Tarraco (Harry Challoner), who has a 7 lbs penalty fort a very easy win last Monday at Plumpton. Venetia could also be on the scorecard at Carlisle, where she has 3 runners, all partnered by Liam Treadwell. Ballyoliver in the staying handicap chase at 16.35 looks very well handicapped and could be the best of them.