Conor O'Dwyer puts Limerick on Folsom Blue agenda
Champion Hurdle favourite Faugheen has starred at Limerick in the past. Barry Cregg / SPORTSFILE
Limerick's habit of producing top-class performers will ensure plenty intrigue at next week's four-day Christmas gala at the Munster venue.
The 2013 Gold Cup runner-up Sir Des Champs and the Champion Hurdle favourite Faugheen have starred there in the past few years. Adriana Des Mottes and Don Poli are among Willie Mullins' classy contenders for Friday's Greenmount Novices' Chase, with the Enda Bolger-trained Gilgamboa also engaged.
The maiden hurdle winner Go Darsi Go is in a conditions race the same day, and his handler Conor O'Dwyer has the Irish Grand National fifth Folsom Blue entered in Saturday's televised Tim Duggan Memorial Chase.
"Folsom Blue is in the Paddy Power, but he'll be in at Limerick, too," O'Dwyer said, referring initially to Leopardstown's valuable chase. "He'd need it very, very soft and the Paddy Power would happen all too quick for him. I'd imagine he'll be avoiding that and we'll go to Limerick instead."
The Limerick ground is soft to heavy, which should also suit Go Darsi Go. "He likes testing ground," O'Dwyer stated, adding that he thinks a lot of the Clonmel winner.
Elsewhere, Groody Hill has been disqualified from the handicap hurdle that it won at Fairyhouse last month and its trainer Christy Roche fined €1,000 after the horse tested positive for Salbutamol.
A prescribed medication for the treatment of respiratory problems, Salbutamol has "performance enhancing" qualities, and a Turf Club hearing found that it hadn't been registered in Roche's medicines book. Karl Thornton's Bearly Legal has been awarded the race.
Meanwhile, Nicky Henderson says Sign Of A Victory is unlikely to run in Saturday's Ladbroke at Ascot because of soft ground.
