Sam's the man as Noland is on hold
Under-fire jockey Sam Thomas will be on board Shropshire-owned Noland as the English raider aims to land the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown tomorrow.
Under-fire jockey Sam Thomas will be on board Shropshire-owned Noland as the English raider aims to land the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown tomorrow.
The Grade One race was due to be run yesterday in Ireland, but the meeting was abandoned and put back 48 hours due to frost.
Noland, owned by Telford businessman John Hales, looks likely to go off the favourite, with William Hill making him 9-4 from 5-2 shot War Of Attrition.
Thomas has been the victim of a number of high-profile falls in recent weeks and was replaced by Tony McCoy for the plum ride on Master Minded in Saturday's Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.
But he has got the nod for the ride on the Paul Nicholls-trained Noland tomorrow.