'King Bob can claim the spoils' - Thurles Thursday Racing Tips and Predictions It promises to be an exciting meeting at Thurles on Thursday and particular focus will be on the penultimate race, the first division handicap hurdle. A bumper field of 16 are set to do battle over 2m 11yds and there are plenty in with a shout of crossing the finish line first, including the likes of Hidalgo Des Mottes and Jake Peter. Selection: King Bob @ SP Next Best: Teenage Kiss @ SP King Bob can claim the spoils The likely favourite in this race is the Gavin Cromwell-trained Cowper Hall, who recently ran well to finish second in a similar contest at Navan and has the ever-consistent stable-jockey Keith Donoghue in the saddle. But it is King Bob, trained by P J Rothwell and the mount of apprentice jockey Shane O'Callaghan, who is the headline selection. This likeable four-year-old has had just six career runs so far and has been making steadfast improvement in each start, which culminated with a good third-place finish in a handicap at Tramore last month. He travelled powerfully that day and the two he finished behind had much more racing experience. That form is working out as both the winner and the second that day have franked the form since winning next time out. King Bob is 1lb lower for this race and should be a big danger. Teenage Kiss not discounted for Champion owner Leading Irish owner J P McManus must always be respected by punters in any race his silks compete in, and his mare Teenage Kiss deserves more than a passing glance here. Conor O'Dwyer trains her and she might stage a rejuvenation in her form, now that she's dropping down in trip. She has never raced at this distance of 2m and has instead been running in races over much further distances. But a dropback in trip may suit her, given her running style. She is often prominent in her races and competes inside the final half mile, but usually fails to see out the trip. Her most eye-catching run was two starts prior, where she did exactly that as she led at the last hurdle but couldn't see out the trip of 2m4½f, finishing a close third. It's possible that connections have just got her trip wrong and that she needs a sharper race, which is on offer in this test.
