Sunday 14 March
IRELAND'S EYE
Tomorrow we will be giving the first of our value bets on the DAQ for next weeks eagerly awaited Cheltenham Festival.
Meanwhile on a low key Saturday we have fixtures at Sandown, Ayr and Chepstow with the feature being the Imperial Cup at the former fixture – normally a race which has some bearing on the County Hurdle next week. Meanwhile in Ireland there is a fair jumps card at Limerick where a former point winner can take a maiden hurdle for a Cork yard while another former point scorer can land a competitive handicap hurdle at Sandown.
Dr Hart (5-10/3) kept our run of winners going yesterday by taking a long distance handicap hurdle at Sandown while our fine run od successful lays continued when Far From Blonde (9/4) could only finish third in the opening mares novice hurdle.
There is no respite in the action today with 5 meetings over jumps in England and Ireland with arguably the best fare on offer in the Emerald Isle. Nevertheless there are three good meets at Market Rasen, Warwick and Towcester but our main bets will be at Limerick and Navan where the prospects of drying ground can play into the hands of a bottom weight in a competitive Navan handicap hurdle while a horse who has done all of his winning in England can register his first success in his native country at the same venue.
We flexed our muscles yesterday in preparation for next weeks feast of racing at the Cotswolds with a treble header of winners yesterday. Red Harbour (11/2-4/1) got the ball rolling when narrowly landing a competitive handicap hurdle at Sandown and we followed up 5 minutes later when registering with the generously priced Guzzle And Go (12/1) in the mares maiden hurdle at Limerick.
Though our nap Knockavilla (10/3-11/4) had to settle for third spot in a handicap chase at Ayr we did nevertheless record our third winner when saver Prince Of Forwards (5-9/2) landed a maiden hurdle at Limerick. In addition Ranjobaie (13/2-6/1) and Liss Na Tintri (4/6-1/2) both managed to fill the frame.
Making his third appearance over hurdles the Philip Hobbs trained Present To You can open his account under Rules by landing the 3m 1f novice hurdle at Warwick today at 2-30. Formerly in the care of Colin McKeever in Ireland the 5yo was not beaten that far by two subsequently useful winners in dual hurdle scorer Arabella Boy and impressive bumper winner Ballyburke in a couple of points before scoring well in a late season maiden at Ballingarry on much better ground. This son of Presenting has run well in defeat in a bumper and a couple of decent hurdles and there was no shame in going under by seven lengths to the promising Chartreux at Ffos Las over two miles and four over six weeks ago. This step up in trip and better ground should suit the ‘Dickie’ Johnson ridden gelding and in receipt of 6lbs from the penalised pair of last time out course and distance winner Double Pride (heavy) and Hereford hurdle winner Barafundle he should gain the number one berth here for an in form yard.
An open looking mares novice chase where legitimate cases could be made for several but it could pay dividends to go with a possible improver in the Michael Cullen trained Would You Do That. Now an eight year old the daughter of Glacial Storm has run well in a few chases to date and she scored in emphatic style alst time when coming from off the pace to land a 3m Thurles mares novice by five lengths having shown promise in taking third to Aranleigh at Wexford over 2m 3f on her chase debut. Though better ground is somewhat of an imponderable she looks to be a progressive sort and she can land this event at the expense of the consistent ex pointer Inistioge who boasts avictory over fences on the track (2m 4f) and the Garvan Donnelly trained 7yo holds decent prospects of turning the tables on likely favourite Tally Em Up on running in a Grade 3 Thurles 2m 4f mares on penultimate start having finished a fine third in a decent Grade 2 novice behind dead heaters Telenor and Uimhiraceathair at Navan last time.
The 4-05 handicap hurdle at Navan looks an open contest but it could pay to side with the lightly raced bottom weight 7yo Vintage Oak. An easy winner of his only point the son of Arctic Lord showed signs of ability over sticks before falling at the last with a Limerick 2m 5f maiden hurdle at his mercy on his penultimate start. Though the David Casey ridden gelding could only finish third in a similar contest at that track over a furlong further six weeks ago the Ciaran O’Brien trained inmate can take advantage of what looks a fair mark here and account for another lightly tried sort in the older Brownpolish – an ex pointer who has returned from a lengthy absence last year to account for a fair sort in Marlay Park (hot favourite in 1st race on this card at 2-35) at Thurles over this trip in a maiden before just getting run down late in a Navan two mile and four handicap hurdle here over a fortnight ago on soft to heavy. Though the 9yo is now 5lbs higher in the weights the David Kelly trained gelding could go close in a race where valid cases could be made for sever more runners.
Colin McBratneys Carsonstown Boy looks an interesting prospect in the 2m 4f novice chase at Navan today at 4-05. A luckless sort ‘between the flags’ where he failed to collect in four efforts (was going well on two occasions when failing to complete and runner up to the subsequently useful Drumbaloo) the 6yo has since bagged three races on sorties to the UK, landing a brace of novice hurdles at Perth over 2m 5f and landing a ‘touch’ in a Ffos Las novice over 3 miles over a month ago. All of his wins have come on good ground and there was plenty of merit in his staying on third to Nicanor here over 2m 4f on heavy on his chase debut 15 days ago and with better ground forecast the Peter Buchanan ridden gelding can land this open looking contest at the expense of the Jessica Harrington trained Taravada. This 7yo may not have scored since landing a brace of bumpers and a hurdle in 2008 but the Kayf Tara gelding has run well in taking second and third placings in Gowran and Thurles (Grade 2) novice chases of late and the 126 rated hurdler is another to appreciate better ground and will be ideally suited by the trip here under Barry Geraghty.
2-55 LIMERICK – 2m mares novice hurdle
FOR BILL has done us numerous favours to date and the high class ex pointer and three time bumper scorer arguably faces her toughest task to date here with the highly promising Morning Supreme in opposition but the daughter of Presenting may prove the more consistent in the jumping stakes and she can extend her unbeaten record here at the expense of the Willie Mullins trained mare.
3-35 NAVAN – 2m 7f novice hurdle
Fascinating if trappy affair but the advice could be to side with the Edward O’Grady trained ACAPULCO who despite being somewhat suspect over the distance the prospects of drying grounds can see the classy ex Aidan O’Brien 110 rated flat racer record his third win at the track following wins over 10f (2007) and more recently in a course and distance maiden hurdle from subsequent scorer The Book Thief. Former point winner and recent 2m 4f hurdle winner Quito De La Roque rates the main danger.
Currently with great value on the DAQ it could pay to look at the value bets on the opening couple of days of the Festival starting on Tuesday. 1-30 - SUPREME NOVICE HURDLE 2m 110yds It all revolves around Dunguib and the vote from the ‘green corner is an emphatic YES but the value lies with BLACKSTAIRMOUNTAIN who will appreciate better ground and despite the claims of Oscar Whisky the Willie Mullins trained gelding gets the vote for a place or without bet. 2-40 – WILLIAM HILL hc chase 3m 110yds Ferdy Murphy boasts a fine record at the Festival and his GALANT NUIT gets the vote here off a tempting weight while Exmoor Raider and the former point to pointer Bensalem are others that should run well. 3-20 – CHAMPION HURDLE 2m 110yds An intriguing contest with doubts about most of the runners but the one with the least quest marks against is the Noel Meade trained GO NATIVE who is chasing the million bonus and Paul Carberry can make it a memorable day for the Irish as the 7yo is taken to beat Medermit with the best place value in the Sabrina Harty trained Won In The Dark. 4-00 – Cross Country hc chase Enda Bolgers stranglehold on this race could be severed here with Henry De Bromheads SIZING AUSTRALIA getting the nod to beat Garde Champetre. Recent hunter chase winner Mr Big can provide best of the home challenge. On Tuesday we will be giving a full race by race summary and elaborating on the best bets on the morning prices on BETDAQ.
CHELTENHAM PREVIEW
ADVICE
BET 4pt win PRESENT TO YOU 2-30 Warwick
BET 4pt win WOULD YOU DO THAT 3-25 Limerick
BET 2pt win INISTIOGE 3-25 Limerick
BET 4pt win VINTAGE OAK 4-05 Navan
BET 3pt win (saver) BROWNPOLISH 4-05 Navan
BET 5pt win (nap) CARSONSTOWN BOY 4-35 Navan
BET 2pt win (saver) TARAVADA 4-35 Navan
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