Hi all,
Botani built on her recent Leopardstown fifth, to win the big race at Cork yesterday. Her win gave us a steady profit in the day which would have been even better without a hefty Rule 4 of 30p in the £ to early advised prices.
It’s Irish Grand National Day at Fairyhouse. The big race is set to go off at 5:00pm and you can see it and the best of the rest of action from Fairyhouse & Kempton on ITV. I have confined today’s selections to the Irish venue.
Hopefully we can maintain the winning run today. I will be back on Thursday for the start of Aintree Grand National Meeting.
Fairyhouse
The going is being described as yielding on both the hurdle and chase courses.
2:05 – Farmhouse Foods Novice Handicap Hurdle – 2m
Shanroe was much improved on the flat and over hurdles last summer and autumn. The 7-year-old returned from a 130-day break when 4th of 9 at Down Royal 19-days ago. Hopefully he will come on for that run and looks to have a good chance here.
The Big King a winner at Navan back in November before finishing runner-up at Leopardstown on Boxing Day. He returned from a 78-day break to finish 3rd of 14 at Navan 22-days ago. He looked all over the winner when going clear at the last but didn’t seem to get home over 2m 3f. Remains in good form and should be there or thereabouts.
1pt win – The Big King – 10/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
1pt win – Shanroe – 7/1 @ Coral
3:15 – Fairyhouse Steel Handicap Hurdle – 2m 6f
Lynwood Gold a useful staying handicapper on the flat last year caught the eye when a keeping on 6th of 16 in Pertemps Qualifier at Punchestown last month. That was the 6-year-old’s first start since October so he should strip fitter here and trainer Jessica Harrington had a double here yesterday.
Max Flamingo won at the fifth time of asking over hurdles when landing a Leopardstown maiden (2m 4f) 29-days ago. Today’s extra two furlongs can bring out more progress in the 6-year-old and he looks to have a good chance of making a winning handicap debut.
1pt win – Max Flamingo – 6/1 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook
5:00 – BoyleSports Irish Grand National Chase (Extended Handicap Chase) (Grade A) – 3m 5f
As you would expect you can give most of the 30 runners some sort of chance and I have plenty on my shortlist.
Top weight Latest Exhibition heads the ante post betting. A classy novice hurdler last season he’s transferred that form to fences and is the one to beat in the first time cheekpieces.
Run Wild Fred looked a Irish Grand National type when finishing runner-up to stablemate Coko Beach in the valuable Thyestes Handicap chase on his last start. Coko Beach must give him 9lb here for a 4-length beating, although Jordon Gainford takes off a handy 7lb. Over today trip I would fancy Run Wild Fred to reverse form.
Court Maid looked improved when winning over C&D back in November. That was the mares first start beyond 3m and she remains unexposed over marathon trips. Up 12lb now and has a 115-day absence to overcome but has won off a lay off in the past.
The Big Dog won the Grand National Trial at Punchestown last time out and looked an ideal type for this race. A progressive staying handicap chaser on heavy ground, he won’t be far away if he’s as effective on today’s sounder surface.
Moyhenna was third behind The Big Dog at Punchestown and is 10lb better off for a 7-length beating. The 9-year-old has plenty of good form in these types of race, beaten a nose in the Kerry National in September and fourth in the Munster National a month later. Ran as well as ever when 5th of 11 in the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham last month over an inadequate 2m 4f.
Espanito Bello is one of the least exposed in the field. The 7-year-old comes into the race having just had four starts over fences. He slammed Coko Beach in a beginners’ chase at Naas in December and looked to have that one’s measure again when making a bad mistake at the last. To his credit he ran on all the way to get within four lengths of the winner at the line. Providing his jumping holds up he’s a got a big chance here.
Discordantly jumping has let him down since finishing fourth in the Troytown Handicap Chase in November. His jumping was better when 6th of 16 in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last month. Gives the impression he can win a valuable pot when everything clicks with his jumping. I just hope it’s not today.
Augusta Gold could be the pick of the Willie Mullins team. The mare is having her first start for the trainer since switching from Mags Mullins. She returned from a year off the track to beat Moyhenna in a Mares’ only Grade 3 chase (2m 4f) here in January and wasn’t disgraced when fourth over hurdles last time. Very much unexposed over marathon trips and she did finish runner-up in the last seasons Grand National Trial on just her second start beyond 3m.
Verdict: Latest Exhibition’s claims are there for all to see and he’s a worthy market leader. The mares’ Augusta Gold & Court Maid must be respected, as does Moyhenna who has plenty of form in big field handicap chases. The unexposed Espanito Bello is going the right way and looks on a winnable mark if his jumping holds up.
1pt win – Augusta Gold – 11/1 @ Ladbrokes
1pt each way – Espanito Bello – 14/1 @ Ladbrokes (paying 6 places 1/5 odds)
1pt each way – Court Maid – 20/1 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook (paying 6 places 1/5 odds)
5:35 – Fred Kenny Lifetime Service To Racing Handicap Chase – 3m ½ f
The Gunner Murphy heads the market. The 8-year-old is 0-6 over fences and returned from over 12 months off the track to finish 2nd of 6 at Down Royal 19-days ago. He shaped that day like he needs today’s’ trip and is capable of better. His stablemate Smoking Gun has really struggled on his last four starts since finishing a promising third at Cork at the turn of the year. Better ground and this is a drop in class for the 8-year-old.
The likes of Whisperinthebreeeze and Paper Lantern are on winnable marks based on their back class. The former would be of interest if the ground was to dry out further and his trainer had a double here yesterday.
Another on a handy mark is Ah Littleluck, a winner of a handicap hurdle at this meeting in 2018. The 11-year-old is only 1-19 over fences but put in his best effort over fences here last season and a reproduction of that performance would see him in the mix. No real form this season but if he was bounce back, he would have each way claims.
1pt each way – Ah Littleluck – 33/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes (both paying 4 places 1/5 odds)
Cheers
John