Friday 20 November
IRELAND'S EYE
Ascot is the main meeting of the day while there are two other decent cards North and South with Kelso and Exeter while there is another competitive nights fare on the polytrack at Dundalk where the Murtagh/Smullen battle for the Irish title draws near its conclusion. The Lavelle yard can be on the mark in the opener at Ascot in an open affair while a former point winner who failed to make a winning mark over hurdles can register his second chase victory in a handicap later in the card. In addition we have a value BETDAQ MULTIBET at Ascot and Exeter today.
With the abandonment of Thurles it was a quiet day for us yesterday but nevertheless we did garner two winners from just two selected races with Dave’s Dream (8/15) on his chase debut at Huntingdon while our saver Minella Theatre (9/2-7/2) beat our main choice Fiendish Flame (4/5-8/11) in a chase at Hereford.
The Charlton trained Sunarri will prove a warm order to land the 12-45 at Kelso this afternoon – a 2m 1/2f novice hurdle on the back of a promising second (beaten a head) by the subsequent good score Sonowyouno in an Aintree 2m 1f novice on his hurdle debut almost a month ago. Though the 5yo is entitled to start favourite here there could be more value in siding with another unexposed runner in the 4yo Bishops Heir who shaped wel on his debut in a bumper over 1m 5f here on good to soft and he since landed a similar Newcastle contest on heavy before running well under a penalty earlier this year. With conditions and ground to suit and the assistance of 5lb claimer Harry Haynes the son of Turbo Speed can beat the ‘jolly’ Sunarri while Rose Dobbins once raced Top It All is another to consider.
A 2m 3 1/2f novice hurdle opens proceedings at Ascot today at 12-55 and it looks a most interesting contest with Paul Nicholls dual course bumper winner (over 2m) Red Harbour looking set to go off favourite following his fair third placing on softer ground at Exeter over two weeks ago over 2m 6f where the 5yo started favourite. A return to this venue and better ground should bring out the best in the former good ground point winner but at the prices the Old Vic gelding hardly rates as a value bet. The one that can profit may be the Emma Lavelle trained Priors Glen who just failed to spring a 40/1 shock when caught close home in a decent Newbury bumper 11 months ago and though he failed to justify favouritism when seemingly given plenty to do behind a stablemate of the favourite Recif De Thaix (a comment that can also be applied to the subsequent bumper scorer and another of todays rivals Volador) he could make a winning hurdle debut her under Jack Doyle. The aforementioned Volador is another who shapes as if this step up in trip will suit while former wide margin point scorer Ashfield’s Dream is another worth consideration.
The Ruby Walsh/Paul Nicholls combination will be expected to land the opening 2 races on the Exeter card today but their There’s No Panic may have to settle for the runner up money in the opening 2m 1f novice hurdle at 1-05 . Though the Fontwell 2m 3f bumper winner (from subsequent hurdle scorer Hi Gales) exited early on his hurdle debut some five weeks ago the 4yo may just be vulnerable to an older rival and the one that may ‘cash in’ is the Johnjo O’Neill trained Four Strong Winds. The Heron Island 6yo shaped with promise on only bumper start and though he was not entirely foot perfect on his hurdle debut when well held in third in a course and distance novice hurdle 17 days ago on heavy ground the Tony McCoy ridden gelding should build on that performance to beat There’s No Panic and the more experienced (and consistent) Song Sung Blue.
Any Currency failed to deliver over hurdles for the in form Keighley yard but the former Irish point winner seems to have found his niche over fences when scoring well on his third start in this sphere at Sandown over 3m 1f less than two weeks ago. Though the 6yo was hit with an 8lb rise in the weights the Warren Marston ridden gelding can follow up in the 3m hc chase at Ascot at 3-15 where the Doncaster novice chase winner Hopkins can pose the main danger despite the fact that the Henry Daly trained 8yo has failed to finish in two subsequent starts over the larger obstacles.
1-30 ASCOT – 2m 5 1/2f novice chase
Alan Kings Awesome George shaped well on his chase debut recently and looks the obvious one here but the vote goes to chase debutant EDGBRIAR – rated 134 over hurdles and the 7yo will be suited by this trip while more rain would further enhance his winning prospects.
2-15 EXETER – 2m 3 1/2f hc ch
In what looks a wide open contest a tentative vote goes to the Victor Dartnall trained RICHARD’S SUNDANCE despite a less than satisfactory seasonal debut but the course winner should show his ‘true colours’ here and land the spoils at the expense of the unexposed Gilsland.
ADVICE
BET 4pt win BISHOPS HEIR 12-45 Kelso
BET 2pt win (saver) SUNARRI 12-45 Kelso
BET 4pt win PRIORY GLEN 12-55 Ascot
BET lay RED HARBOUR to win 5pt 12-55 Ascot
BET 3pt win FOUR STRONG WINDS 1-05 Exeter
BET 2pt win (saver) THERE’S NO PANIC 1-05 Exeter
BET 4pt win (nap) ANY CURRENCY 3-15 Ascot
BET 1pt win/1pt place (saver) HOPKINS 3-15 Ascot
BETDAQ MULTIBET – 1pt double/trebles – ANY CURRENCY, FORREST PENNANT (1-40 Exeter) and PRIORS GLEN
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.
Thursday's Return was: PROFIT 4.06 points
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