Friday 10 September
IRELAND'S EYE
It's flat all the way today with BETDAQ switching its sponsorship today to Chester while Day 3 of the Doncaster Leger meeting boasts three Group contests with the Doncaster Cup the days highlight. Meanwhile there is a decent card at Sandown this afternoon while the evening action takes place at Wolverhampton and there is also a competitive flat card in Ireland at Down Royal starting at 4-10. Doncaster and Down Royal will provide our main wagers today and we are going to take a chance on an Irish trained runner at big odds in the feature at Doncaster while a Kevin Prendergast 3yo can land the Northern Ireland feature.
We struck out yesterday at Doncaster and Kempton with just nap Meeznah (3-2/1) and Rumoush (8/1) taking third and second placings in the feature at Donny while later in the day our selection Blue Angel (16’s morn-12/1) stayed on all to late to take third berth in a Listed event at the same venue. Two of our Kempton selections Hulcote Rose (16/1) and Miss Polly Plum (10-8/1) just finished out of the frame in a couple of handicaps.
Feature event today is the Group 2 Gold Cup at Doncaster at 2-40 and though there are plenty of credible fancies at the top of the market it is the Noel Meade trained Pointilliste who gets a hopeful vote from this column. This ex French trained 7yo has bagged 5 successes in his native land last year, including a Group 3 and Listed event over two miles last year on good ground just made an ordinary start to his Irish career when last seen two months ago and though everything has not been that ‘rosy in the garden’ with his training schedule of late he can spring a surprise here under Richard Hughes with the step up in distance looking ideal and though he may be suited by a slightly easier surface he should not be inconvenienced by the ground here and he can beat Samuel who has shown he is back to his best following a lengthy layoff whilst last years winner Askar Tau cannot be written out of the equation with first time blinkers being employed today.
Two of the youngsters (namely 3yo) take on the older horses in the Down Royal feature this evening in the 1m 5f Plate at 6-10 and though both may be somewhat lacking in regards of experience they can go close here for the Kevin Prendergast and John Oxx yards. The former is the Night Shift gelding Knight Eagle who has been consistent since landing a Listowel mile maiden last year and added to that win on latest when accounting for Solo Performer in a Bellewstown one mile and six handicap over two weeks ago and the 91 rated gelding should be suited by ground/trip here under his useful 7lb claimer. However we will just give the vote to the less exposed John Oxx trained Troas who opened his account at the second attempt by taking a Leopardstown 10f maiden and has been competing reasonably well in better company on two occasions before running well when finishing a fair fourth to experienced handicapper Aladdins Cave (gave 3lbs) on his handicap debut over 12f last time at Gowran. Though the son of Dalakhani has not proved the most straight forward he should be suited by this test and with the application of first time blinkers (did race once in cheekpieces) Fran Berrys mount can take his second career success here from Knight Eagle and the useful Bahrain Storm.
An interesting closing handicap at Down Royal and this 2m event can go to last years winner Abroad who did take the corresponding event last year when it was a some 3f shorter event. James Leavys 6yo is hardly a prolific winner and indeed his victory here last year was his first on the level but if he can reproduce his decent third in a Galway handicap over this distance he should go close here under talented 3lb claimer Gary Carroll with trip/ground to suit. There are plenty of dangers lurking however and amongst those is William McCreerys flat maiden Alpine Glade who is clearly in form having bolted in to land a Killarney 2m 6f hc hurdle on last start over 3 weeks ago. Francis Floods Slievecorragh is closely match with the last named on form and should be considered also.
1-35 DONCASTER – 5f Group 2
A strong renewal and though cases can be made for several here including the Richard Hannon trained Zebedee but it may prove profitable to row in with the unbeaten Pontefract and York winner NEW PLANET under Ryan Moore and he is taken to beat French challenger Keratiya.
6-40 DOWN ROYAL – 1m 5f apprentice hc
Typically open contest and a tentative vote goes to HORSEWITHNONAME who is fitted with cheekpieces today having been tried in a visor at Ayr last time and the 3yo can open his account at the 10th attempt here from three time flat scorer Akinspirit who has to give him a stone. Lesley Youngs Hey Bosco is another for the short list.
ADVICE
BET 3pt win NEW PLANET 1-35 Doncaster
BET 2pt win (savers) KERAYIYA and ZEBEDEE 1-35 Doncaster
BET 4pt win/1pt place POINTILLISTE 2-40 Doncaster
BET 2pt/1pt win (savers) SAMUEL and ASKAT TAU 2-40 Doncaster
BET 4pt win (nap) TROAS 6-10 Down Royal
BET 2pt/1pt win (savers) KNIGHT EAGLE and BAHRAIN STORM 6-10 Down Royal
BET 3pt win HORSEWITHNONAME 6-40 Down Royal
BET 2pt win (saver) AKINSPIRIT 6-40 Down Royal
BET 4pt win ABROAD 7-10 Down Royal
BET 2pt/1pt win (savers) ALPINE GLADE and SLIEVECORRAGH 7-10 Down Royal
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