ANOTHER SHAMROCK YANKEE TODAY: Another yankee today. He had to do it. Says Shamrock after his four out of four yesterday, and referring to his winning 6-1 nap: “There’s no sense of purpose, as yesterday, when we had two fine betting cards.”
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HEAD DOWN WITH MORE TO COME: ‘But the situation is a bit like the jumps jockey who can’t stop winning. He knows he’s got to have a fall like everyone else, so he goes in head down, hoping he’ll come out the other side with bags more success.’
5.15 Tipperary: An Ghalanta seems to have her best chance to date after running up to some classy animals but, if you check her out, you’ll find that none of the horses that finished third in her string of four seconds have ever won a race.
What’s more, she is at a disadvantage when she meets Angels Art for the second time in 16 days. She headed Angels Art that day at Naas and beat her threeparts of a length but there are two reasons to suspect that she won’t today.
It was only Angel’s Art’s second race against An Ghalanta’s five, and today An Ghalanta has the worst of the Tipperary draw in 14, while Angel’s Art has a comfy two stall, with the reins handed over to Johnny Murtagh. Kerriegold is well connected and could be a threat.
5.45 Tipperary: Blue Dahlia is burdened with top weight because of the touch of class she’s shown in conditions and Pattern races.
Similarly, going for Listed and Group tests has cost Partner with the handicapper. He won this race off 84 last year but has squeezed only minor placings in small fields since, yet here he is off 93.
On the other hand, Liberty Island, who was the runner-up behind him last year off 77, won twice in July but can run off 73 today, so getting 20lb where last year he received 7lb. Should be enough to close a two-and-a-half lengths gap, well drawn in stall 2.
The blinkers are back on The Reaper, Moonlit Garden is edging down the handicap and Geraldine’s Lass is a course winner. But I shall take a ‘Liberty’ at around 10-1 this morning.
6.15 Tipperary (Abergwaun Stakes): A third sprint in row and, even with only eight runners, the draw may count against Sole Power, who also prefers big fields, failed in this race last year, and is warming up for the Nunthorpe at York.
Three-year-olds have a bad record, it’s hard to see Celerina coping with this class and raiding trainer David Barron is badly out of form (0-20). That leaves my choice between Inxile and Invincible Ash.
Invincible Ash must surely get the vote, having won twice at Tipperary, including this one in 2010 when she beat Sole Power and Santo Padre, despite being drawn six of seven.
From the four stall here, she ought to be able to make all the running on the top of the ground, which doesn’t do any favours for Inxile, whom she beat off at the Curragh in June.
7.20 Tipperary: Somersach broke her maiden here and this course, and step down to Listed level, will suit her better than the two Group-3s she tried in June and July.
But Furner’s Green looked something to go to war with when, taking on his pacesetting teammate Battle Of Saratoga, tdhe son of Dylan T homas lengthened away from them over CD 27 days ago.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
NAP: Invincible Ash (6.15 Tipperary)
NEXT BEST: Furner’s Green (7.20 Tipperary)
OUTSIDER: Jeangeorges (8.20 Tipperary)
DAQ YANKEE: Angel’s Art (5.15 Tipperary), Liberty Island (5.45 Tipperary), Invincible Ash (6.15 Tipperary), Furner’s Green (7.20 Tipperary)
