Friday 27 November
IRELAND'S EYE
Its day 2 of the Hennessy Newbury meeting while further North Musselburgh stages a competitive jumps card. It is also the second day of racing at the much underrated Thurles where there is another fine card. Despite his absence Johnny Murtagh should be crowned champion Irish flat champion tonight at Dundalk. Paul Townend may be the jockey to follow and the youngster looks to have decent prospects of a double with a former point winning mare in the opener and with a shorter priced favourite in a maiden hurdle for his retaining yard of Willie Mullins. Timmy Murphy and Victor Dartnall can upset the favourite in the concluding maiden hurdle on an excellent Newbury card.
On another profitable day our nap Riverside Theatre (5/6-4/5) scampered home well clear on his chase debut at Newbury while we also registered wins at two other meetings through Duke Of Lucca (4-7/2) and saver Coolcashin (11/10-10/11) at Taunton and Thurles respectively. We also had some success in our secondary service when Michel Le Bon (15/8-6/4) came home a distance clear of his field while in the opener at Thurles Rockfield Abbey (12/1) was only collared in the closing stages of a bumper.
Carrigtwohill point winner Gentle Alice could conceivably be inconvenienced by the distance of the opening mares maiden hurdle over the minimum trip at Thurles at 12-35 but the Paul Townend ridden 5yo gets a sporting vote to score on her fifth start on the track. Suited by the underfoot conditions (won point on soft) the daughter of Beneficial has shaped with promise in her three hurdle runs to date from 2m upwards and she ran well when staying on to take third to Rossdare in a decent Clonmel 2m 4f maiden hurdle under todays pilot a month ago on soft. She was held up towards the rear on latter occasion but she travels well and if she races more prominently here the Donie Murphy trained mare can beat the obvious danger Revelling – a 4yo who it can be disputed is unlucky not to come into the contest unbeaten as the Wexford bumper winner (dead heated) only went down narrowly in similar contests on debut and latterly when just beaten by the useful and subsequent scorer For Bill at Punchestown. However Paul Nolans youngster is having her first run over flights and she may be vulnerable to the more experienced 5yo.
Though Willie Mullins lightly raced 7yo Rhyl Accord failed to complete in his two point (started short priced favourite in both) starts the son of Accordion can make a winning debut over flights in the 2m 2f maiden hurdle at Thurles at 2-10. Nevertheless he showed decent form in bumpers and he showed good battling qualities when landing a Down Royal bumper narrowly over a year ago and a reproduction of his fine second to the useful Sweeps Hill in a Leopardstown bumper last Christmas should suffice with point to point experience looking likely to be a bonus on his first start for some 11 months. The Paul Townend steered gelding should prove too strong for former point and 2m 2f bumper winner An Toileanach whose hurdle debut was a decent effort as he finished a fine second to rising star Dunguib at Galway. With ground to suit the O’Keeffe runner looks a potent danger to the selection.
The Nicky Henderson runners are in fine fettle at present and they look to have strong claims in taking the finale at Newbury – a 2m 1/2f maiden hurdle under Tony McCoy at 3-45 with the highly promising dual scorer Bellvano. Nevertheless hurdling experience is normally the best guide to winner seeking and it is the Victor Dartnall trained Henry King who gets our vote to score at the second time of asking over timber. A fine course winner of a bumper here over a similar trip from the useful Pepe Simo and Mondays decent scorer Ardvillian the Timmy Murphy ridden 5yo failed by a length and a half to justify favouritism in a rematch against Pepe Simo at Wincanton on good ground and the easier ground here should favour the son of Great Palm.
With question marks against the main protagonists in the 2m 6 1/2f hurdle at Thurles this afternoon (3-20) it can pay dividends to row in with a tried and trusted friend of the column in Paddy Pub on his hurdle debut. The decent dual point winner has had a fine season winning two hunter chases in addition to a brace of staying chases and the Kieran Purcell trained 6yo also finished a fine third in the Munster National at Limerick. Though he only got as far as the first in the featured chase at Navan on Sunday the Brian O’Connell ridden gelding gets all the allowances here and though it is never wise to assume chase ability will automatically translate into hurdle form this fellow is ‘right at home’ on the ground and in receipt of 9lbs from the 127 rated Across The Bay who boasts some decent form over hurdles against decent opposition the former pointer gets the nod to return to winning ways.
1-00 NEWBURY – 2m 1/2f juvenile hurdle
Alan Kings Mille Chief looks a winner without a penalty following his unlucky Market Rasen experience (looked winner when brought down) but a better bet could be in siding with the dual French flat winner Royal Mix representing the Nicholls/Walsh team as he possess the greater experience.
1-45 MUSSELBURGH – 2m 4f maiden hurdle
Good Cork bumper winner Meath All Star is now with Gordon Elliott and the Meath handler – fresh from a winner on the all weather at Dundalk last night should land this ordinary contest at the expense of fellow Irish raider Dooney Rock.
ADVICE
BET 4pt win GENTLE ALICE 12-35 Thurles
BET 2pt win (saver) REVELLING 12-35 Thurles
BET 4pt win HENRY KING 1-45 Newbury
BET 1pt win (saver) BELLVANO 1-45 Newbury
BET 5pt win (nap) RHYL ACCORD 2-10 Thurles
BET 1pt win (saver) AN TOILEANACH 2-10 Thurles
BET 4pt win PADDY PUB 3-20 Thurles
BET 2pt win (saver) ACROSS THE BAY 3-20 Thurles
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 9.31 points
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