Ireland's Eye on Thursday

Thursday 16 July

IRELAND'S EYE 

We hope to go out in style on the final day of the Killarney meeting this afternoon (mixed ) where Tony Martin can land the opener while the Mullins camp can land the feature for the second day in a row – this time with Paul Townend on board – while there is an evening flat fixture at Leopardstown which features a Group and Listed contest. Meanwhile at Cartmel it looks like a James Lambe show but there could be a win for a former Irish point winner in a novice hurdle.
 
Norwich Boy (11/2) benefited from another super Ruby Walsh ride to land the opener at Killarney for us yesterday – almost 50.0 on the DAQ IN RUNNING while one of our lays Ballylanigan (11/4) got turned over at Worcester. Two of our other selections On You Go (7/2-3/1) and Gemini Ahhs (7/2-10/2) finished in the money.

Course and distance winner Lake Wakatipu (soft) from the Richard Ford yard looks to have a fine opportunity to follow up in the 2m 6f novice hurdle at Cartmel this afternoon at 2-00 as he is allowed race unpenalised against mainly ex pointers and with all of his opponents maidens on the track. The fact that he should have made it a double but for jinking both ways before dislodging his rider two from home at Aintree over 2m 4f in a handicap on better ground last time out should cement his position at the head of the market here under Graham Lee. Nevertheless the last run creates a slight doubt and he may be opposable at the likely odds here and the one who could benefit is the Harry Findlay owned ex Irish pointer Quedillac. Though the 5yo took his time to land his maiden on good to yielding at the eight attempt on good to yielding the Tim Vaughan trained gelding has run reasonably well in a couple of bumpers on unsuitably fast ground in taking third prize money at Hereford and Stratford and with obstacles now in front of him and a distance of ground to travel he could prove the value here under Richard Johnson especially if there is a further ease in the ground. The former Irish trained 4yo Crazy Eyes put some uninspiring form behind when staying on well late to take a modest fourth in an Uttoxeter 2m 5f maiden after making a ‘horlix’ of the second hurdle and the Charlie Mann trained youngster could prove the main danger to the selection. Former dual Irish point winner Speedy Max (landed his winners contest from subsequent Park winner Breeze Out) and is another to consider despite his recent failure to make an impact in a couple of chases in addition to the long absent James Lambe runner and former pointer Bannville.
 
Dual Gales and Ruby Walsh will be fancied to make it a hat trick of hurdle wins in the 2m 1f novice hurdle at Killarney at 2-35 but this looks far from a one horse contest and the short priced favourite could be worth opposing. Winner at 2m and two and a half at Tipperary and Bellewstown on good and good to yielding the 8yo should not be inconvenienced by the easier ground having finished a good third to the useful Venalmar in a Punchestown 2m 4f maiden on heavy at the end of 2007. However he may struggle to give 12lbs to the Tony Martin trained Pires who has shown promise in a couple of decent maidens behind Quevega and Mythical Prince on yielding and soft at Punchestown and Cork earlier this year and has subsequently gone down by less than two lengths to the subsequent easy Roscommon victor Warne at Listowel six weeks ago where he had one of todays rivals and subsequent snug winner Tribes And Banner (now 6lbs worse off) behind in third. He has shown his well being in finishing a promising fifth in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes in the meantime and the Davy Russell ridden 5yo can account for Dual Gales and Tribes And Banner.
 
Paperchaser did us a favour when landing a ‘touch’ and showing battling qualities in landing an extended 2m 4f hc chase at Hexham 15 days ago and there is a good chance that the 9yo can add to that success by taking the 2m 1 1/2f hc chase at Cartmel this afternoon at 3-05. Though he is 7lb higher for that win he does boast placed form (twice) on this course and he did not jump that well when taking a close third on just his third start over fences here over course and distance in late May on soft. Given that he has shown ability on an easy surface and an aptitude for this unique track he can land just his second career start under his 3lb claimer at the expense of the favourite Inmate from the Tim Vaughan yard who is slipping into form on the evidence of his close second over a similar trip at Newton Abbot on good to firm 38 days ago.
 
Day 4 feature on the Killarney card is the 2m 1f hc hurdle at 3-40 and here the three against the field look to be Perfect Reward, Tango Foxtrot and Born High. Perfect Reward is a former flat winner (12f on soft) and
the 5yo scored on his handicap hurdle debut when comfortably landing a Tralee 4yo event on heavy in a slow time last year. Though the Eric McNamara trained gelding is now a stone higher he has run well in defeat on a few occasions in handicaps over this trip over flights but he could never get competitive when well fancied before finishing a never dangerous fifth behind the subsequent scorer Taralga over 12f at Fairyhouse on latest when fitted with first time blinkers. He races with cheek pieces here (sported them on one other occasion) and though he may not be totally straight forward he looks to be on affair mark and has ground to suit. Though the Willie Mullins trained six time flat winner Tango Foxtrot is a maiden after 12 starts over jumps the Paul Townend ridden 7yo races off 10-0 here and there was plenty of merit in his final run where he was in contention when erring and unseating two from home in a competitive Gowran hc hurdle over 2m behind surprise winner Cabin point on fast ground. Although he is mainly a good ground horse he has scored on yielding to soft on the flat and he could prove the answer here. Born High just failed to land a ‘touch’ and a course and distance handicap hurdle on good ground here a year ago but has since landed a Listowel 2m maiden hurdle on soft and though he was held when toppling at Limerick last time the Michael Hourigan trained and Tom Doyle ridden 5yo holds definite prospects on a mark 7lb higher that on his last visit to this track and he will be suited by the ease underfoot.
 
Kevin Prendergast and Aidan O’Brien are double handed in the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes for fillies at Leopardstown this evening at 6-30 and it looks likely that they could be fighting out the finish to this 7f event. O’Brien’s main hope looks to be the likely favourite Famous who struck at the third time of asking when making all to land a modest maiden when stepped up to this trip over the course a week ago. Jim Bolgers Kitty Kiernan steps up to 7f for the first time in first time tongue tie and Jim Bolgers talented filly was far from disgraced in finishing behind two useful O’Brien runners in Lillie Langtry and latterly the well backed Alfred Nobel in the Group 2 Railway Stakes against geldings. However there was a lot to like about the debut of Kevin Prendergast’s Alshahbaa in landing a Curragh 6f maiden on heavy almost two months ago. Though it can be unwise to get carried away by good performances on deep ground this fellow looks above average and though somewhat lacking in experience and racing on better ground (officially yielding to soft) he can land this contest under Declan McDonagh from Famous and Kitty Kiernan.
 
The first three home in the recent Group 3 Curragh Cup at 9-00 over 1m 6f go head to head in rematch in a Listed event over the distance at Leopardstown tonight but there is a decent chance that the position of the first two could remain the same on this occasion. Dermot Welds decent 5yo mare Profound Beauty proved the winner by a fast diminishing neck on that occasion from the luckless Oxx trained Alandi who was shut off a furlong and a half down by which stage ‘the bird had flown’ and Mick Kinane has the ideal opportunity to make amends on the dual 4yo scorer here despite the fact that his previous visit to this track also resulted in a somewhat luckless and narrow defeat to Hindu Kush in the Listed Saval beg Stakes. However the winner is seeking back to back victories in this race and she looked as if she would come on for that initial experience on her seasonal bow and she can once again account for the Oxx runner. Though Aidan O’Briens Yankee Doodle theoretically should reverse placing with the first two on 2lb better terms here he may once again come up short as he was under pressure inside the last furlong and a half last time and looks to have the least scope for improvement.
 
ADVICE
BET 3pt win QUEDILLAC 2-00 Cartmel
BET 1pt win (saver) CRAZY EYES 2-00 Cartmel
BET 4pt win PAPERCHASER 3-05 Cartmel
BET 2pt win (saver) INMATE 3-05 Cartmel
BET 4pt win PIRES 2-35 Killarney
BET 4pt win TANGO FOXTROT 3-40 Killarney
BET 2pt win (saver) PERFECT REWARD 3-40 Killarney
BET 4pt win ALSHABAA 6-30 Leopardstown
BET 2pt win (saver) FAMOUS 6-30 Leopardstown
BET 5pt win (nap) PROFOUND BEAUTY 9-00 Leopardstown

 
We are now recording the daily profit and loss of Ireland's Eye to help readers gauge the current form of the service. We will provide the profit / loss on the previous day to a £1 level stake on each selection (eg: a 5 point bet = a £5 stake). In the interests of consistency the profit / loss will be recorded at SP prices, however BETDAQ users can reasonably expect to beat SP in the majority of races.

Wednesday's Return was: LOSS 9.28 points