Solwhit has class to prevail
Sunday November 02 2008
TWO cracking cards at Leopardstown and Mallow will have armchair backers glued to At The Races, with 15 events to enjoy.
Foxrock hosts its final flat meeting of the campaign with a very competitive eight-race card, the highlight of which is the November Handicap. Solwhit was clearly unlucky in the Irish Cesarewitch and he is one of a handful of very classy jumps horses in the race. Paul Townend takes over from Emmet McNamara and, though the four-pound hike for finishing third the last day might be interpreted as adding insult to misfortune, Charles Byrnes' sort must go close again.
The Knockaire Stakes is open enough and Al Qasi might end a run of respectable efforts. Peter Chapple-Hyam's five-year-old has won on testing ground before but would probably be more of a force if the rain stays away.
In the Eyrefield Stakes, it is hard to get away from Mourayan. John Oxx's juveniles boast an exceptionally good record at the track this year and the son of Alhaarth, which could have run in the Racing Post, faces a simpler assignment here. The Bull Hayes could still be the forecast pick.
The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery appears to be at the mercy of fillies and Lough Mist might offer some value. Tracey Collins' charge has a touch of class and has a progressive profile, though the same could be said for Scandal Sheet, yet another smart Galileo-bred housed in Coolcullen.
The Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden is a very hot back-end event and Rockhampton, a close second to the 91-rated Nafaath last time, is bound for higher classes of races for Ballydoyle. Duc De Savoie and Toraidhe will also have their supporters.
Mallow's jumps racing has attracted fields high in quantity and not lacking quality either. Punters will hope there are no non-runners for each-way purposes in the feature paddypower.com Cork Grand National Handicap Steeplechase, which can go the way of the improving Operation Houdini off bottom weight.
The higher-class horses in this three-and-half-mile slog have various negative marks against them. A New Story is capable of running well but he has forgotten how to win at this stage.
Davy Fitzgerald would settle for one winner today but he might enjoy two. Skip Two makes plenty of appeal in a most interesting paddypowercasino.com EBF Novice Steeplechase under Barry Cash.
This Norwich-bred ran with much credit behind Dear Villez in the Munster National, travelling with characteristic ease before failing to last home; the drop down in trip here can only be favourable. Tranquil Sea is a very promising recruit, though it is a shade surprising that Edward O'Grady is starting him off in a Listed race, for all that it ensures favourable weight allowances.
They start with the paddypowerbingo.com 3-Y-O Hurdle, and the ground might be a decisive factor: the forecast heavy would place extra emphasis on stamina and Seenya is accordingly preferred to Lethal Weapon (unproven on bad ground). The Dial-A-Bet 1800 721 821 EBF Novice Hurdle is a good race and Oscar Dan Dan has the class to go close.
SELECTIONS
Leopardstown: 12.40 Seenya 1.10 Rockhampton 1.45 Lough Mist 2.15 Al Qasi 2.45 Mourayan 3.15 Solwhit 3.50 Belle's Ridge 4.20 Jumbo Rio.
Cork: 1.20 Lethal Weapon 1.55 Sonnium 2.25 Oscar Dan Dan 2.55 Operation Houdini (Nap) 3.30 Sinatra Bar 4.0 Skip Two 4.30 Bobs Display.
- JOHNNY WARD
