James and Deegan get Thyestes Chase call-ups

Leading point-to-point riders Rob James and Richie Deegan will both have their first rides in the Grade A Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park on Thursday afternoon after being booked to ride for the countries two biggest trainers.

Wexford native James may well have ridden 175 winners between the flags, however with his focus on action in the point-to-point fields, he has a very valuable seven-pound claim, which Gordon Elliott is making full use of, as he has been booked to ride the top-weight Alpha Des Obeaux in the €100,000 Grade A contest.

The nine-year-old point-to-point graduate, who was a Listed winner at Clonmel in November, is a 16/1 shot having previously finished second in the Grade 1 World Hurdle at the 2016 Cheltenham Festival.

This is the not the first time that Elliott has called upon James for a valuable handicap, having put him up aboard another Gigginstown House Stud-owned horse in Outlander for last year’s Irish National at Fairyhouse.

Richie Deegan won his first Grade 1 race at last season’s Punchestown Festival aboard the Willie Mullins-trained Tornado Flyer, and the champion trainer, who put him up aboard Orion D’Aubrelle for the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown last month, once again calls upon his services for a valuable handicap.

The Carlow native will be aboard Some Neck for the feature race on the Gowran Park calendar. The eight-year-old, who has been well-supported in the build up to the race, comes into it having won the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown in November.

Rich Ricci’s grey gelding is a former course winner, having taken his Beginners Chase at the Kilkenny track last season.

The equine point-to-point graduates are also well represented in the 3m 1f race with 12 of the 18 horses having been campaigned between the flags in Ireland, including last year’s winner Monbeg Notorious and the current favourite, Invitation Only, who both started their careers with the Doyle brothers Donnchadh and Sean from the Monbeg Stables operation.