Henry de Bromhead runs a couple in the opening maiden hurdle at Naas on Thursday and Jasko Des Dames looks like the one with scope for more improvement.
The French-bred won a bumper in his homeland and has been placed in his two outings over timber since coming to these shores.
He was a promising third to Jigoro, who he had actually beaten in France, on his jumping bow at Navan in December and bumped into a decent sort in Lisnagar Fortune on his subsequent outing at Punchestown.
That form looks strong as the winner then had narrowly lost out to subsequent Grade One winner Readin Tommy Wrong previously.
The third horse in that Punchestown race, Mercurey, has won since and was also a respectable fourth in the Gallagher Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham behind the brilliant Ballyburn.
Jasko Des Dames has therefore kept good company on his runs to date and looks capable of getting his head in front now.
De Bromhead’s other runner Gorgeous Tom sets the standard in the two-miler off a mark of 123.
The Champs Elysees gelding has been runner-up on his last two outings and the second behind Caldwell Potter at Navan in December reads particularly well.
Darragh O’Keeffe has ridden him in all his ‘track’ starts so the fact that he’s on him again, and Rachael Blackmore maintains her association with the selection, isn’t a surprise.
The Willie Mullins-trained Special Cadeau commands respect as well having posted a couple of decent efforts in good maiden hurdles.
It’s a deep enough heat for this time of year but Jasko Des Dames can step forward again to open his account over jumps.
De Bromhead introduces an interesting recruit in Forty Coats in the concluding bumper on the card.
The Diamond Boy gelding won his sole start ‘between the flags’ at Ballinaboola in early February.
That contest has thrown up a couple of winners since and this five-year-old could be a nice horse.
Another interesting contender earlier on the card is the Willie Mullins-trained Got Glory in the mares maiden hurdle.
The Great Pretender mare won on the level in France a few years ago and was given just one run over hurdles last season, in Grade One company at Fairyhouse.
She struggled that day, pulled up before the second last, but connections obviously thought a bit of her to throw her in at the deep end then.
Mullins has done similar things with plenty of smart sorts in the past and it would be no surprise if this mare was a completely different proposition on her return to action now.
SELECTION NEXT BEST
2.10: Jasko Des Dames (Nap) Gorgeous Tom
2.40: Got Glory (Dbl) Magic Dawn
3.10: Undeniable Alibi Stoke The Fire
3.40: Verbal Sparring Chosen Shant
4.15: Hillsdale Three In A Row
4.50: Jeronimo De L’ouch Everystep Oftheway
5.23: Forty Coats Machismo
