Curley Bill returns after 928 days at Tipp The Tipperary Racecourse Celebrating 100 Years Handicap tops the bill on a mixed eight-race card as Curley Bill returns to action after a mammoth 928-day absence. Indeed, the last time Noel Meade's charge was in action was also at this venue, when in October 2013 he contested a Grade Three novice hurdle. He did not come up to the mark on that occasion, when fifth, but Curley Bill had certainly shown his true worth before that, winning four of his five previous starts. Those wins included a victory in the very valuable Guinness Handicap at the Galway Festival in 2013. A couple of hurdle successes after that encouraged connections to aim for Ballybrit again the following year. Unfortunately, he got a bang just before the 2014 edition of the Galway Hurdle, but the now eight-year-old was reportedly back in full work early last year. Curley Bill has obviously tested the patient of connections in the interim. Owner Philip Reynolds has been enjoying a great run with his horses of late, though, through Mall Dini and Presenting Percy. No doubt he will just be hopeful that his green and white silks show up prominently on this occasion, with Shane Foley doing the steering. The handicapper has given the Meade runner something of a chance from a mark of 79. However, in this mile-and-a-half event, many punters will likely prefer to call upon those with more recent form. To that end, Ancient Sands could be the one after two wins and a second placing at Dundalk on his latest efforts. In the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race, Coolmore Stud-based first-season stallion Excelebration has his first runner in Ireland when Ballydoyle's Istan goes to post. The McGregornator is the one to aim at here, as he already has a Curragh maiden win to his name. On the National Hunt side of the programme, Call It Magic is difficult to ignore in the Follow At TipperaryRaces On Twitter Maiden Hurdle.
