Nearly Famous© Photo Healy Racing
Backing all of Jessica Harrington’s runners over the last three weeks has proved to be a very profitable approach, and the leading dual-purpose trainer has just the one representative on Down Royal’s Friday card.
It is an all-jumps programme at the County Down venue and Harrington has booked a jockey that has been worth following in recent times as well, as Donie McInerney will get the leg-up on Nearly Famous
The likes of Damut (11-1), Spring Watch (16-1), Na Trachtalai Abu (11-2) and Winter Breeze (8-1) have provided supporters of the talented young Limerick pilot with sizeable gains in recent times.
Champion conditional rider from the season just past, McInerney will pull on silks he has not worn before when he goes out to partner Nearly Famous in the Eventsec Handicap Hurdle.
Indeed, this Rip Van Winkle mare has her first outing for new owners in the two-miler, the Mount Temple Three Syndicate having taken over with the five-year-old.
The County Westmeath grouping had some memorable days in the past with their Cane Brake, the fifth-placed finisher in the 2007 Cheltenham Gold Cup behind Kauto Star.
That Sadler’s Wells gelding also gave his owners two big pay days, in the 2006 Troytown Chase at Navan, and in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown soon after that.
The David Wachman-trained Pageboy was another to represent them well. Whilst Nearly Famous has a bit to do on her latest efforts, the Mount Temple Three Syndicate will be hoping she can return to the form of previous summers and autumns when successes were accrued.
Elsewhere, the feature event of the evening is the Mount Charles Handicap Hurdle and here Top Of The Town has his initial start for the Gordon Elliott yard.
Elliott also has Presenting Julio engaged, while the aforementioned Donie McInerney is aboard Wigs On The Green for JP McManus and Mouse Morris.
