Sunday 31 January
IRELAND'S EYE
Though it proved a reasonably bust day in the end yesterday proved an extremely quiet day for us with just the the Grade 3 contest at Cheltenham won by The Sawyer (7-11/2) our only selected race.
It could be a different proposition today as Limerick in Ireland and Plumpton have already passed the weather test with Hereford and Punchestown waiting on late inspections. We will concentrate our efforts on Limerick however where we are siding with two decent priced selections in a maiden hurdle and novice chase who have shown good form ‘between the flags’ while we will be taking on an ex Irish point winner in a novice hurdle at Plumpton.
Terence O’Briens yard have been in fine form in recent months and the Cork handler could be on the mark in the 2-40 at Limerick today – a2m 6f maiden hurdle with the point winning mare Ag Dul Suas (English translation On The Way Up). This daughter of Bob Back made her only point start a winning one when beating more experienced rivals to land a point against her own sex at Dromahane last November. She has been campaigned over shorter trips over hurdles in the interim and on the evidence of her staying on third placing to the vastly experienced Prairie Call over 2m at Thurles a fortnight ago this test could prove the perfect wining medium and with Emmett Mullins claiming a valuable 3lbs she can score the improving The Big Boyo who has finished runner up to two fair sorts over 2m and 2m 2f on last couple of starts for the Pat Colville yard. Ciaran O’Briens Vintage Oak would have collected here over a furlong less last time but for slipping and departing at the last but that was a very slowly run race and the visiting Paddy Aspell ridden 7yo may have to settle for some of the placed money.
Former Irish point winner Ballycracken beat the subsequent Nicky Henderson trained hurdle winner Be There In Five at Nenagh on his second point start and co-incidentally the 6yo is now in the hands of the same trainer and he shaped reasonably well on his start for the yard when fading into third in a Warwick maiden hurdle almost two months ago over 2m 5f. That was a fair effort but the son of Flemensfirth may have to play second best in the 2m 5f novice hurdle at Plumpton this afternoon at 3-45 to the decent dual Fontwell bumper scorer Latin America on his hurdle debut. He should have little trouble over this extended trip on breeding and with the Nick Gifford yard in form the Liam Treadwell ridden 5yo can make a winning hurdling debut here at the expense of the ex point winning mare Evella who demolished a field of her peers in a course and distance mares novice hurdle here on her second start over flights less than a fortnight ago.
Not the strongest of novice chases but the 2m 1f event at Limerick today at 4-10 could fall to the Conor O’Dwyer trained ex pointer Presenting Massey on his third start over the larger obstacles. Though he did ‘bite the dust’ on his debut in this code almost two months ago he did run reasonably well when finishing a modest fifth in a Punchestown 2m 4f novice eleven days ago. Though the Nicky O’Shea ridden 7yo is a maiden under all Rules it must be remembered that he ran the useful subsequent hurdle winner Themoonandsixpence to a length and a half in a Loughrea point almost two years ago. There should be more to come from the Presenting gelding and in a race where there are pleny of questions to be answered by the leaders in the market he can spring a minor surprise here at the expense of Smack That from the in form Rothwell yard who is rated superior to the selection over hurdles but the 8yo couple of efforts in chases to date have not been that inspiring and his record at the track is just passable. Former dual point winner Mr Dominator would prove a danger at bigger odds but he has been disappointing of late and may not be suited by the trip either while Victram was a former decent hurdler on soft ground but he is hardly an improver in the waiting at this juncture.
2-30 PUNCHESTOWN – 3m 4f hc chase
This should prove a stern test today on the forecast ground and we will take 3 against the field here with ROCK DIPLOMAT, lightly raced former pointer Lydon House and High Fidelitay with the first named just getting the narrow vote.
4-00 PUNCHESTOWN – 2m maiden hurdle
In what should develop into a match a tentative vote goes to former pointer PERFECT SMILE who admittedly let us down last time when looking sure to open his account but the Paul Carberry trained 5yo can make amends at the expense of likely favourite Blackstairmountain who could admittedly prove a potent force over flights on his bumper form.
ADVICE
BET 4pt win (nap) AG DUL SUAS 2-40 Limerick
BET 1pt win (savers) THE BIG BOYO and VINTAGE OAK 2-40 Limerick
BET 4pt win LATIN AMERICA 3-45 Plumpton
BET 2pt win (saver) EVELLA 3-45 Plumpton
BET lay BALLYBRACKEN to lose 5pt 3-45 Plumpton
BET 4pt win PRESENTING MASSEY 4-10 Limerick
BET 2pt/1p win (savers) SMACK THAT and MR DOMINATOR 4-10 Limerick
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 14.68 points
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