Given that is is notoriously tricky to defy penalties in bumpers we will take on previous winners Hillview Boy and Wave Power with CUNNING CLARETS. Richard Fahey's four-year-old receives well over a stone, including the age allowance, from the other short-listed pair and he will have learned plenty from a pleasing debut when six lengths adrift of Bishops Heir at Newcastle last time. He can go one better today. Wave Power makes his British debut after a Leopardstown win under the tutelage of John Kiely, and it will be interesting to see if Howard Johnson can elicit improvement here. Hillview Boy has to prove he acts on the ground and at face value looks the weaker of the two previous winners. Moscow Mischief can come on for his debut run but we will side with Cunning Clarets.
Hillview Boy (IRE) 8-1 (10-13) Mid-division, ridden over 3f out, soon every chance, led over 1f out, driven out, won at Musselburgh 2m nhf (5) gf in Dec beating Saveiro (11-2) by 1l, 12 ran.
Wave Power (IRE) 7-1 (11-9) Towards rear, headway on outer straight, challenged from under 1f out, stayed on well under pressure to lead well inside final furlong, won at Leopardstown 2m nhf sft in Dec beating Steel Park (11-2) by 1l, 16 ran.
Club Class Emperor Fountain gelding out of Four Leaf Clover.
Zero Six Zoo (IRE) 11-2 (10-13) Prominent, reminders halfway, driven and weakened over 3f out, 9th of 16, 32l behind Shut The Bar (10-0) at Catterick 2m mdn nhf (6) gs in Jan.
Moscow Mischief 66-1 (10-4) Tracked leaders, ridden over 3f out, kept on one pace, 5th of 13, 7l behind Hunters Belt (11-4) at Musselburgh 2m nhf (5) gs in Jan.
Cunning Clarets (IRE) 11-2 (10-7) In touch, led 3f out to over 2f out, soon ridden and one pace, 2nd of 16, 6l behind Bishops Heir (10-7) at Newcastle 2m nhf (6) hvy in Jan.
Rollwiththepunches Hernando gelding out of Zarma.
