Listen Dear appeals in Thurles opener Three of the four runners in Thursday's Holycross Mares Chase at Thurles make quick reappearances after Bank Holiday weekend assignments. The odd one out is Willie Mullins' Listen Dear, and she is the headline maker in the two-and-a-quarter-mile event. Listen Dear is not as experienced over fences as Presenting Mahler and Thanks For Tea, but she did look a natural jumper when winning on her chase debut at Ballinrobe in September. Ruby Walsh was in the plate on the Robin Des Champs mare then, and he is on the six-year-old again. It is worth remembering that Listen Dear began her career in point-to-points, and that definitely seemed to be of benefit to her when she tackled racecourse fences for the first time. Former stable companion Monbeg Rose is in a similar position to the Mullins runner, and in her favour is the 5Ib that she receives from her opponents. The point-to-point-winning grey was a close-up fourth over flights at Wexford on Sunday. On the same card at Bettyville, Presenting Mahler finished second in the feature behind Bay Of Freedom, whilst Thanks For Tea might well have filled the same position had she not fallen at the second-last in the Listed M.W. Hickey Memorial Chase. David Mullins rides Monbeg Rose, and he is also on Moonlit Theatre in the Templemore Mares Maiden Hurdle. She has got to be very much respected on her bumper form and, crucially, she has the benefit of previous hurdling experience. The most positive element about her prospects here, though, is the fact that she hails from the Henry de Bromhead yard, as the County Waterford handler could hardly have his horses in better form. In the concluding Toboradora INH Flat Race, there is a chance that we will see a decent youngster or two in action. Carrigready was gambled on when second on his debut at Clonmel at the end of September. Mr Showtime, meanwhile, is out of a winning half-sister to the mighty Denman, and he ran satisfactorily at the first time of asking in Roscommon in the middle of October. Hardline has to enter the equation too, and he is another nice prospect for Gigginstown House Stud and Gordon Elliott.
