Hi all,
Prime Venture and Another Crick’s wins made for another good Saturday for the service. Sundays haven’t been that great of late but there is a good handicap at Fairyhouse to get stuck into tomorrow. Otherwise, I would have given it a miss. At this time of the season, you must grab the big races when you can.
There is likely to be another Cheltenham Festival ante post selection out on Thursday. However, I am expecting another quiet week on the selections front. Do watch your inboxes for any updates though.
Below is my preview of the Fairyhouse feature race.
Fairyhouse
2:20 – Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase (Grade A) – 2m 1f
Dunvegan beat subsequent Leopardstown winner Grange Walk over C&D last time. Up 7lb for that success. He remains a clear candidate but the ground was good when he won last time.
Grange Walk is another raised 7lb for his recent win. He deserves his place in the line up and given he’s a 6-year-old could be capable of better. Take All was a 4-length 3rd of 14 behind Grange Walk at Leopardstown. He get’s 5lb from the winner here. That was a personal best over fences from the 7-year-old and he’s going the right way. That said I wouldn’t be surprised to see Grange Walk confirm form with him.
Soviet Pimpernel was a 16-length 7th in the handicap chase won by Grange Walk. A winning hurdler he’s yet to transfer his very useful hurdle form to fences. The 7-year-old goes in the mud though, is capable of better and Rachel Blackmore has been booked.
Blackbow another with useful hurdle form. He had made a good start to novice chase career when winning a Navan beginners’ chase on his seasonal reappearance last season. Highly tried in Grade 1 company and his best effort came when 10 ¾ length 3rd of 9 to Energumene in Irish Arkle Novices’ Chase at the Dublin Festival. First start since down the field at the Cheltenham Festival. Makes his handicap chase debut here and must be respected from the Willie Mullins yard.
Top-weight Castlegrace Paddy is a three-time Grade 2 winner over the larger obstacles. He might well have added a fourth but for last fence mistake here in April. Well suited soft or heavy ground and his form figures around here are 212. Not seen since putting in a rare below part effort when pulling up at Gowran Park in October. Was said to have bled after the race that which is a bit of a concern. Mind you its worth noting the 11-year-old is 5 wins from 8 runs when returning from a 61-day plus lay off.
Eclair De Beaufeu, trained by Gordon Elliott, is having his first start over fences since falling at the last in a Grade 2 at Navan November 2020. A very useful handicap hurdler, putting a personal best when 2 ¼ length 4th of 25 to Belfast Banter in the 2021 County Hurdle at Cheltenham. Two from seven over fences. The 8-year-old’ best performance over the larger obstacles also came at the Cheltenham Festival when he finished a 1 ¼ length 2nd of 19 to stablemate Chosen Mate in the 2020 Grand Annual Handicap Chase. Distance and going fine and he’s respected if perked up by the return to chasing.
Verdict: Dunvegan and Grange Walk must be high on the shortlist. Blackbow too on his handicap chase debut although he’s a bit short in the market for me. Castlegrace Paddy might not be the horse he was but he’s not handicapped out of this if bouncing back to form after a poor return to action. Eclair De Beaufeu is very interesting on his return to fences and although he’s a bit a weak in the ante post betting there’s likely a decent handicap chase pot in the 8-year-old this season.
1pt win – Grange Walk – 8/1 @Bet365
1pt win – Eclair De Beaufeu – 12/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
0.5pt win – Castlegrace Paddy – 9/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Cheers
John