Hi all,
It’s going to be wall to wall racing for the next eight days and that’s something all us racing fans should be excited about.
The action gets underway on Friday. Over at the Curragh it’s the Irish 2000 Guineas and an excellent supporting card of seven races. There’s also a good card at Newbury and as an added bonus ITV Racing will be covering nine races from the two tracks in an early evening show.
Let’s begin where else but the Curragh
Curragh
5:10 – Top -weight andhandicap debutant Flash Gordon could give Jessica Harrington another winner but I like previous course winner Ice Cold In Alex in this 6f handicap. The 6-year-old has only won 4 of his 27 career starts but has often run well in valuable handicaps and really deserves to land one. He ended last season with career best efforts in big field handicaps here over a mile and Leopardstown (7f). His hold-up running style means he needs a good gallop to chase and can be a hostage to fortune in his races. Drop back to 6f shouldn’t inconvenience and he’s gone well fresh in the past.
1pt win – Ice Cold In Alex – 13/2 @ Bet365
5:40 – Seventeen 3-year-olds are set to go to post for this 7f handicap and there are plenty of unexposed horses who could prove much better than their marks.
One of the more experienced runners is The King Of Kells. He showed he had trained from two to three when 3rd at Naas in March and may not have stopped progressing. Two from two at the course but he’s prominent and the forecast strong pace may not play to his strengths. One place behind him at Naas was Elusive King he will be fitter for that run but this will be his first start on going quicker than soft to heavy. A winner at Dundalk back in November Music To My Ears makes her handicap debut of what looks an attractive mark. The daughter of Camelot is bred for much further but has claims here. So has her stablemate Bright Idea who also makes his handicap debut off a workable mark.
United Front, trained by Aidan O’Brien had shown promise on three starts last season. Not seen out since Royal Ascot he made a winning start to his 3-year-old career when winning a 6f maiden at Dundalk in February. Looks the sort to do better with racing and he can improve for the step up to 7f. The forecast strong pace will be in his favour and he has to be high on the shortlist. Another who would be suited by a strong pace is Leadership Race who improved for the step into handicap company and going on the all-weather when landing two nursery handicaps at Dundalk in the Autumn. If he can transfer his all-weather improvement to turf, he’s a big player. Layfayette won a Navan maiden on his second career start last season before putting a career best effort when beaten just a short head into second in a valuable sales race at Naas in October. There should be more to come from the colt in his second season and he can go well if fit enough.
1pt win – United Front – 5/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
6:40 – Eleven colts have been declared for the Irish 2000 Guineas. Aidan O’Brien saddles six of the field. However, none of his runners head the market. The ante post favourite is Siskin trained by Ger Lyons. Unbeaten on his all his four starts as a juvenile. The fast ground will suit but will he stay the mile if he does, I think he wins. It’s hard to say who will be the best of the O’Brien horses although the highly regarded Vatican City is a colt who could make up into a smart 3-year-old. For those looking for one at bigger odds Fiscal Rules appeals. The Jim Bolger trained colt finished runner-up to recent English 2000 Guineas runner-up Wichita on his sole start at two. Clearly highly regarded he’s been thrown into the deep end for his seasonal return but he could get into the money.
7:15 – The 1m Irish Lincolnshire usually gets the Irish Flat season underway in March but now find’s itself on the 2000 Guineas card. Despite the big field it doesn’t look the strongest of renewals. The market is headed by Current Option who ended last season winning a valuable 7f handicap at Leopardstown. Yet to win over a mile but he’s progressive and has a big chance on his return.
The inform Jessica Harrington stable saddles a couple of live contenders in Tauran Shaman & Njord. The former won his first two starts last season before struggling on testing ground in a Group 2 at Longchamp back in October. Back into handicap company today and has the scope to defy a mark of 96. Njord was progressive last autumn winning over C&D (soft to heavy) before switching to his present yard and winning at Galway. Seasonal return but looks to have been aimed at this race all winter and can go close if he’s as effective on quicker ground.
Dermot Weld trained the winner of this race in 2014 and his runner Bashiyr has to be on the shortlist with the useful Andrew Slattery taking of a valuable 5lb. The four-year-old won two of his four start last year, both wins coming on rain softened ground. Was only 6th of 15 over C&D on his handicap debut but wasn’t beaten far. Stays 1m 2f so a mile maybe on the short side for the gelding but a strong pace should see him finishing his race of well.
1pt win – Bashiyr – 6/1 @ Bet365
1pt win – Njord – 10/1 @ Bet365 & Ladbrokes
Newbury
4:55 – The first of four competitive looking handicaps on Newbury’s evening card. I like the chance of top-weight Into Faith. The 3-year-old shaped with promise on his first two starts last season before going onto win a maiden at Longchamp on his final start. The ground was soft at Longchamp so the easing of the Newbury surface is in his favour. Need to improve further on his handicap debut but he’s lightly raced and looks to be going the right way.
The Richard Hannon trained Count Of Amazonia also takes the eye off what looks a winnable mark off 83. The colt impressed when getting off the mark at the third attempt at Newcastle back in October. He can improve for the step up to a mile and the looks the sort to do well in his second season.
1pt win – Into Faith – 11/1 @ Ladbrokes
1pt win – Count Of Amazonia – 7/1 @ Bet365 & Ladbrokes
6:25 – Lunar Jet is 2 wins from 2 runs over C&D, both on good to soft, and should be fitter for his seasonal return at Newcastle 10-days ago. The 6-year-old is 4lb below his last winning mark and is to well handicapped to ignore on a track that suits.
1pt win – Lunar Jet – 8/1 @ Bet365 & Coral
Cheers