Wednesday 15 July
IRELAND'S EYE
Afternoon racing from Uttoxeter with the Irish invasion again in evidence with 6 trainers from the Emerald Isle supplying 11 of the runners in five of the contests whilst the evening meeting at Worcester sees a five runner challenge from the Elliott, McCourt and Paul Flynn yards mounting a five runner challenge. Meanwhile on the penultimate day of the Killarney meeting there could be more success for the Mullins/Walsh combination and that team could also have a flat win later in the card while a 24.0 shot on the DAQ could do the business in the feature event.
Saver Sir Ejay (9/4) proved our only winner yesterday on a generally disappointing day with the last gasp defeat of Glaczer Flyer (9/4-6/4) in the Downpatrick opener setting the tone for the rest of the day with Toby Jug (7/2-10/3) also going down to an outsider at Killarney and our well backed nap Francisco Goya (5/4-4/9) also getting turned over.
With Dan Ryan going up 20lbs in the handicap for his clear cut success over the veteran and subsequent winner Glengarra in a Newton Abbot handicap chase last time David Pipes free running ex Irish pointer could face an ‘uphill battle’ in landing the hat trick in the 2m 5f hc chase at Uttoxeter today at 4-10 with the likelyhood of competition from the front another possible drawback. Richard Guest’s former prolific point winner Chorizo could go close to overcoming a 7lb penalty for his recent Market Rasen win whilst the all the way Aintree hunter chase winner City Affair will appreciate a return to this trip having been outpaced over 2m 1f at Hexham last time. However it could pay to row in with the Johnjo 0’Neill/Tony McCoy team who are enjoying a decent time of it at present and their former Irish point winner and dual chase scorer up to 3m On You Go. This fellow seemed to ‘blow up’ when supported in the market on his first start for 18 months at Bangor on good to soft recently but the 8yo has always been suited by better ground and the distance of todays contest looks ideal and he can account for City Affair and Chorizo.
An extended 2m 4f novice chase at Killarney at 6-00 sees the return of the Tony Martin trained Corrick Bridge and the lightly raced 7yo will be hoping for better luck than on his last visit to this track 11 months ago where he looked the winner till tipping up at the last on his chase debut over two and three quarter miles behind Rathmore Castle when light in the market. His well being has to be taken on trust but the booking of Davy Russell looks significant but we will nevertheless look elsewhere for the victor. The two that look most attractive are the Willie Mullins trained Norwich Boy and Johnny Killawee from the Nicholson yard. Norwich Boy has had three outings over fences to date over varying trips on good ground showing a fair level of form but an easy surface and this trip (won only contest at Gowran on yielding to soft from recent winner House Of Bourbon (rec 14lbs) and with Ruby Walsh on board he can land the odds. Similarily Johnny Killawee has shown his best form on easy ground during a consistent bumper/hurdle career and the 5yo only win came in a slowly run Ballinrobe 2m 4f handicap hurdle on soft earlier this year but he has not been disgraced in two attempts over fences to date on good ground. The Dessie Hughes trained Jimmy Ber would rate a danger to all on his chase debut as the dual hurdle winning 7yo would be superior to to his rivals on hurdle ratings but he lacks experience and this trip could prove just too sharp.
An interesting 3m maiden hurdle at 6-40 opens proceedings at Worcester this evening with three former Irish pointers strutting their stuff. Irish challenger Ballylanigan (three time winner ‘between the flags’) looks set to go off as favourite for Gordon Elliott and Tony McCoy. Though he did finish a fine third in a Downpatrick 2m 5 1/2f maiden hurdle last year he failed to ‘cut the mustard’ over a furlong less at Hexham subsequently and he could be vulnerable here to a more progressive type. Though David Arbuthnot’s Lingstown point winner City Heights could do better in time he is best watched here but the ex Sean Aherne trained dual point scorer would be a danger to all if stripping fit for his first start for the Tom George yard. However the selection is the lightly raced Nigel Twiston Davies runner Gemini Ahhs on his hurdle debut. The Paddy Brennan ridden 6yo showed consistent form in three starts on a sound surface in bumpers and on breeding he is ‘crying out’ for this step up in trip and seemingly runs well when fresh and with his trainer likely to have him ‘spot on’ for the assignment he is taken to score from Cottage Acre.
The feature event at Killarney tonight is the 2m 6f handicap hurdle at 7-00 where Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh are likely to start favourite with the former pointer/bumper and hurdle winner Themoonandsixpence. He has proved quite consistent over hurdles but arguably does strike one as a win machine and in addition he does not have much in hand of Donal Coffeys mare Printing Copper on their running last time in a Tipperary 3m hc hurdle where a head separated them when they finished second and third (Themoonandsixpence) behind course specialist Waittillitellyou. Warcraft was well backed to land a controversial Bellewstown hc recently but unfortunately got no run as the starter allowed to field to go as the 6yo was still going to post. The former pointer is suited by ‘cut’ in the ground however and has the assistance of a competent 7lb claimer and he is only 6lbs higher than the mark he carried when spring a surprise in a Gowran 2m 4f hc hurdle on penultimate start. Lady Steppes has prospects on her fourth to the progressive Cloone Stream over 2m 4f at Gowran on fast ground last time but she may be best on a better surface and could be vulnerable at the trip. Michael Grassicks Princess Nicole is another who would be better suited by a less demanding test on a sounder surface while Noel Glynns Gonebeyondrecall should certainly be suited by ground and a step up in distance but his jumping could be put under pressure in his first handicap. The admirable chaser Church Island will have his supporters on his first start over hurdles since October of last year but though he is vastly better off over hurdles than chases that theory is often ‘blown out of the water’ when it comes to the crunch. We will instead go with a bottom weight to land the spoils at decent odds and that is the Tony Mullins trained Root Cause with Paul Townend on board. Though the 6yo has only scored once in 15 starts he has run well in handicaps over these types of distances and softer ground and has dropped to a winnable mark.
Ruby Walsh is not usually associated with the flat but the Irish champion jumps rider gets a good opportunity to land a win on the level tonight with the 4yo Tarkari in the 1m 6f maiden at Killarney at 8-00. A son of Fantastic Light and a former inmate of the Oxx yard he has shown a consistent level of form on the flat, including the all weather where he lost out narrowly in a couple of maidens over a mile and eleven furlongs. However he has shown an aptitude for softer ground since joining Willie Mullins and was an easy winner of an ordinary Ballinrobe maiden hurdle and though his most recent effort when finishing third to the progressive Warne over 2m 4f at Roscommon over flights was somewhat disappointing when well supported ‘at the books’ he could be suited by the drop back in distance here as he travels well throughout his races and with ground to suit he can score at the expense of the 3yo Anak and the older Northern Alliance on his first flat start.
ADVICE
BET 4pt win ON YOU GO 4-10 Uttoxeter
BET 2pt win (saver) CITY AFFAIR 4-10 Uttoxeter
BET 4pt win NORWICH BOY 6-00 Killarney
BET 2pt and 1pt win (savers) JOHNNY KILLAWEE + CORRICK CROSS 6-00 Killarney
BET 4pt win GEMINI AHHS 6-40 Worcester
BET 1pt (saver) COTTAGE ACRE 6-40 Worcester
BET lay to win 6pts BALLYLANIGAN 6-40 Worcester
BET 3pt win ROOT CAUSE 7-00 Killarney
BET 2pt win (saver) WARCRAFT 7-00 Killarney
BET 5pts win (nap) TARKARI 8-00 Killarney
BET lay to win 6pts DIRAR 9-10 Worcester
BETDAQ MULTIBET – 3 x 1 doubles + treble HIGH GALES, CHRONOMATIC and ON YOU GO
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.
Tuesday's Return was: LOSS 30 points
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