Mare has 'favourite's chance'

Andrew Lynch: Good relationship with Voler La Vedette

Colm Murphy highlighted the drying conditions at Leopardstown as the deciding factor in choosing the woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle as the target for Voler La Vedette.

Now a Grade One-winning mare, the seven-year-old also held an entry in the Istabraq Festival Hurdle later in the week over two miles.

Voler La Vedette had been sent to the breeding sheds but failed to get into foal to Presenting, enabling her to return to training, and she looked better than ever in winning the Hatton's Grace last time out, beating Mourad, who reopposes.

She appears to have struck up a great partnership with jockey Andrew Lynch, who is enjoying a purple patch of his own at present, with other big wins on Sizing Europe and Rubi Light.

"Touch wood everything has been great with her and we've decided to run tomorrow (Wednesday)," said Murphy.

"We obviously were thinking about the two-miler but with the ground drying out we decided to step up to three again.

"She looks to have a favourite's chance.

"I've been delighted with her at home and she'll love the good ground. If it had stayed soft she'd have been running over two miles."

Better Expected

Eddie Harty expects a better showing from Karabak after he blew away the cobwebs at Navan last month.

Formerly trained by Alan King, the eight-year-old finished fifth behind Voler La Vedette in the Lismullen Hurdle over two and a half miles.

He has, however, finished second to Big Buck's over three miles, in the 2009 Long Walk Hurdle, and will also be suited by the drying ground.

"He's in very good form, but he looks up against it," said Harty.

"Going up to three miles should suit, as should the decent ground so you'd hope he'd be thereabouts.

"He has a few things in his favour - AP (Tony McCoy) is coming over to ride him, he knows him well, so we'll give it a shot."