Wednesday 29 July
IRELAND'S EYE
It's D-Day at Galway this afternoon with the feature event of the week the Galway Plate tipped to go to the Nicholls yard for the second year in a row but our money will be on a couple of recent chase winners at 16.0 and 19.5 on the DAQ while the Mullins can make it a family affair in a flat maiden.
Almolahek (7-11/2) kept our flow of winners going on DAY 2 of the Galway Festival yesterday. In addition our choices in the novice chase Pako Jack (6/1) and Tasman (5-7/2) finished 3rd and 2nd respectively while our saver For The Staff (7/2-10/3) and Wigwam Willie (14morn-10/1) also finished in the frame.
WILLIAM HILL IN IRELAND NOVICE HURDLE 2m
Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins will be strongly fancied to land the opener on todays card with the 5yo Tawaagg. He landed his maiden in Wexford on yielding before showing a good attitude to follow up at equally short odds at Downpatrick 15 days ago on good ground. However the Ruby Walsh ridden five year old does have decent placed form on more demanding ground and though he is far from an easy conveyance as he finds not as much as anticipated on more than on occasions and he is opposable here and he may have to give best to the Michael Murphy trained Hintsnallegations. The 6yo showed decent form when just losing out in a couple of soft ground bumpers in Roscommon and Sligo last year before spring a surprise in beating one of todays opponents and favourite there Baily Rock at Tipperary in a 2m 4f novice on hurdle debut on a good surface. Nevertheless he showed that was no fluke when making the 6lb receiving Pires ‘pull out all the stops’ in a competitive Killarney novice over 2m 1f on latest. He has shown he handles all surfaces and the stiff 2m around here on testing ground can see the Tom Doyle ridden gelding account for the favourite in receipt of 3lbs. No stopping Sarah and Woodland Traveller are just two of the runners here who would appreciate better ground.
WILLIAMHILL.COM HANDICAP HURDLE 2m 4f
A bumper field and consequently an open contest where the ‘call’ could be to concentrate on those towards the bottom of the handicap. Steve Capall made a welcome return to form when coming back bravely to land a Kilbeggan hc over three miles on latest in first time blinkers (now 8lbs higher) while Tony Martins course winner Corrick Cross (2m maiden hurdle on good in 2007) probably will go off favourite under Ruby Walsh but the 7yo has fallen in his first couple of starts over fences when holding every chance but he could be vulnerable on this surface. Mouse Morris doubly represented here with The Rebel Returns (Niall Madden) and Baily Storm (David Casey) and the former went up a stone for an easy win in a Tipperary 2m handicap on yielding to soft whilst the latter is still a maiden after 11 starts. The Christy Roche yard have been quiet this season but the booking of Tony McCoy for Ardistan should be heeded as the lightly tried hurdler scored on soft at Ballinrobe last year on debut over hurdles but he does have stamina to prove. Johnny Kilawee is distance winner on soft and is coming back from a stint over fences. The answer to the puzzle could lie with the improving Paul Gilligan trained mare Present Gem who acts on the ground and the 6yo was holding every chance when unseating two from home against Baily Rock in a 3m Tipperary hurdle on yielding to soft on latest. The consistent Duers is another who should run his usual solid race and is suited by the surface.
WILLIAM HILL 1800 333 555 HANDICAP 1m 4f
First time blinker ‘did the trick’ for the former dual bumper winner Teach Nua when the 5yo landed the opening 2m maiden hurdle here yesterday and in the process confirmed that he could act on the rain softened ground. Though it is only 21 hours later it is difficult to oppose the Dermot Weld candidate in this 12f handicap off what looks a reasonable mark. The Pat Smullen ridden gelding could have most to fear from the lightly raced Arthur Moore trained Takendo who is well equipped to handle the surface and the 7yo who scored at Sligo in a 2m hc hurdle earlier this month on soft to heavy also has the assistance of Fran Berry. Another who could go close is the consistent Not Til Monday who had the rest of the field well beaten off here on Monday night in a similar contest when beaten a length and a half by the well supported Mosstown.
WILLIAMHILL.COM-CASINO (QR) MAIDEN 1m 4f
A Mullins father and son combination took the feature here yesterday and there is a decent chance that the feat could be repeated again today when Willie and Patrick team up with the 4yo Blackstairmountain in this 12f maiden. A runaway winner of a Thurles bumper on soft to heavy he made late progress to finish a fair second to the useful debutant and subsequent winner Drive Time in a similar contest over 2f further at Leopardstown on good ground. Though the distance of this contest could be on the short side for the son of Imperial Ballet the slower ground should counteract it and he can account for the Thomas O’Neill trained 4yo mare She’s A Singer who ran a ‘blinder’ when just touched off by the Dermot Weld trained Gratified (gave 12lbs) in a 1m 5f Fairyhouse maiden on soft where the short priced favourite and subsequent dual hurdle winner Tawaag just behind in third. Indeed it is Weld’s 4yo mare Miss Chaparral – who succumbed late to the long standing maiden Red Rock Canyon at Roscommon over 10f on soft who could make up the placings here under Robbie McNamara.
WILLIAM HILL GALWAY PLATE (GRADE A) HANDICAP 2m 6f
Trainer Tony Martin is the only multiply represented trainer in this years renewal with two of the top weights Royal County Star and Northern Alliance backed up by one of the bottom weights Green Mile. Though Royal County Star has to hump top weight of 11-7 the 10yo is on the trail if a four timer and the Irish Grand National runner up showed his well being when just getting up close home to land a two mile and one Killarney chase on latest where he had the promising mare Hill Fairy back in third. The 7yo has only run three times over fences and scored on her Cork debut and if the John Morrison trained mare stays the trip she rates a danger to all off a low eight. Northern Alliance could prove the best of the Martin trio as Green Mile did prove disappointing on latest run on good ground and the 7yo will have to step up markedly on that showing if he is to collect on this easier surface. There are several in the line up who have competed in this contest in recent years, including Cool Running who has finished 3rd and sixth in the last couple of years and he made a return to action recently when beaten soundly by Piano Star in the Midlands National at Kilbeggan. Though the Christy Roches nine year old has Tony McCoy on board he has always looked somewhat suspect over the trip and the vote falls on the Michael Cunningham trained Piano Star who finished well in rear here last year on better ground and the 9yo was value for his twelve length victory in landing that Kilbeggan centerpiece for the second year running. Though the handicapper has responded with a 9lb hike he land this prize at the expense of the Joe Crowley trained Knock On The Head who is relatively unexposed over fences and the 7yo boasts a third to Equus Maximus in a Punchestown 2m 5f novice hc chase on heavy on penultimate start while Wins Now is another off a low weight to consider as he recently ‘broke his duck’ over fences in a modest Tipperary novice but the trip may just prove a drawback for the Niall Madden trained 8yo who only boasts one placing over extreme trips and that was a close second to Bridge run in a Fairyhouse 2m 5 1/2f novice chase at the end of last year. The Fahy trained Washington Lad promised to be above average in his earlier career but the nine year old has come back from injury to prove himself a capable and durable chaser on this type of surface and though he is 6lbs higher for his narrow Killarney win over this trip on his last chase start the Paddy Flood ridden gelding rates a danger to the best here.
WILLIAM HILL IRISH SPORTS BOOK 2009 HANDICAP 1m 1/2f
In a contest where cases could be made for may of the runners we will go minimum stakes with two against the field. The two who could ‘do the business’ are a couple of top weights in the appropriately named Izagonawin represnting Tommy Stack and Billy Lee and David Marnane and Colm O’Donoghue ridden Spirit Of Xaar. The first named is closely matched with another of todays runners Lady Excel on Killarney on good ground over a similar trip but she is arguably better on an easier surface and she could gain her revenge on that opponent on 2lbs better terms for a length. Spirit Of Xaar is one of the more unexposed runners in the field and the all the way Listowel mile maiden winner (yielding) has been running well in good ground handicaps and could appreciate the ease in the ground here for his locally trained yard.
WILLIAMHILL.COM-POKER HANDICAP 1m 1/2f
Though the top weight and former five time British flat winner Steig has to shoulder top weight of 10-5 in this handicap the Moore trained 6yo still warrants strong consideration on the back of his recent win in a Ballinrobe 9f handicap 8 days ago where he had the Tom Hogan trained Quench The Flame four lengths back in fourth. However the last named is now 7lbs better off and the Paul Townend ridden four year old boasts fair form in heavy ground handicaps, including a close second to Toufan Express (ran well in fourth her last night) in a Gowran hc in October of last year. Charles Byrnes Napa Starr failed to justify a 5lb hike in the weights for an easy Bellewstown success but his revised mark (7lb higher) does not make look that well handicapped on the face of it despite a somewhat luckless and narrow defeat at Leopardstown on better ground last time. Towards the bottom of the handicap the Joseph Murphy trained King’s Road merits consideration as the Gowran mile handicap winner finished a fair fourth to the progressive Separate Ways on yielding to soft at Killarney last time and looks to be on a feasible mark. Steig just gets the vote to beat Quench the Flame and King’s Road.
WILLIAM.COM-VEGAS MAIDEN 1m 1/2f
Not a race in which to be too dogmatic about despite the fact that the Weld and O’Brien runners Precious Gem and Maurice Utrillo dominate the market. The first named – a filly by Sadler’s Wells – has started at big odds on both starts over a mile to date, fading on heavy ground before going down narrowly on better ground at Leopardstown 11 days later. Maurice Utrillo does not seem to be progressing and though he boasts the best form and acts on the ground as evidenced by his circa four lengths fourth to Final Approach at the Curragh on soft over a mile last time he is becoming expensive to follow. Though the John Joseph Murphy trained Prayer Boat is not certain to show his best on the ground his two efforts on this type of surface were in decent company whilst the unexposed James Leavy trained filly Screen Diva could be suited by a step up in trip.
ADVICE
BET 4pt win HINTSALLEGATIONS 2-00 Galway
BET 2pt win (saver) TAWAAG 2-00 Galway
BET 3pt win PRESENT GEM 2-35 Galway
BET 1pt win (savers) BAILY STORM and JOHNNY KILAWEE 2-35 Galway
BET 4pt win TEACH NUA 3-10 Galway
BET 2pt win (saver) TAKENDO 3-10 Galway
BET 5pt win (nap) BLACKSTAIRMOUNTAIN 3-45 Galway
BET 2pt win 1pt place SHES A SINGER 3-45 Galway
BET 3pt wins WASHINGTON LAD & PIANO STAR 4-25 Galway
BET 1pt win (savers) GREEN MILE & KNOCK ON THE HEAD 4-25 Galway
BET 2pt win SPIRIT OF XAAR 5-05 Galway
BET 1pt win (saver) IZAGONAWIN 5-05 Galway
BET 4pt win STEIG 5-40 Galway
BET 2pt win (saver) QUENCH THE FLAME 5-40 Galway
BET 2pt win PRAYER BOAT 6-15 Galway
BET 1pt win (saver) SCREEN DIVA 6-15 Galway
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.
Yuesday's Return was: LOSS 10 points
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