It is a good feeling when my e-mail lights up on a Monday
morning alerting me to the horses entered on Friday night from my tracker.
Those who make the list should do for a good reason, in theory! The best part
on doing your own form study and watching the races back is when you think
you’ve spotted one that will go underrated the next day. We’ll play a game here
and let you guess the nap for this week at Dundalk.
I am the highest rated entry on the card. I am a course
specialist with 8 wins from 31 runs on all weather and in half those starts
I’ve been placed. I’m trained by a man in scintillating form with a 29% strike
rate for November, 9 winners from 31 runners and in 2014 is showing profit to a
level €1 stake of €20.01 at Dundalk, 21% SR and 27 wins from 127 runners. I am
well named as it means the Mourne Mountains in English, which is apt as the
stands in my favourite track face the Co. Down mountain range. I’m an 8yo
gelding whose rated 95 but once as high as 106 and have been to Dubai. Beaten
less than 2 lengths here when running for the first time after 7 months, I ran
great. Held up off a slow gallop and made plenty of ground in the straight when
not knocked about on seasonal return behind Misty Lane, it was the perfect pipe
opener for Friday. My trainer’s horses often improve a tonne for their first
run of the season and I could be the class angle in the mile handicap. Who am
I?
Moneen Oasis Is
an interesting entry in the first this week for WP Browne. Last year he and
jockey Seamie Heffernan paired up to win a maiden with American Hope the first
week of December when backed from 10/1 – 4/1. That horse had an eye-catching
debut in November like Moneen Oasis and after winning at Dundalk was sold and
has gone on to be a 100 plus rated horse in England. 3 weeks ago the Oasis
Dream gelding was slow away, held up, really travelled into the home turn
though Heffernan kept him wide, made plenty of ground in the hottest part of
the race and looked to blow up (in need of the run for fitness) before left
alone late on. It was a really educational debut and a la American Hope last
year I thought it showed quite a bit of raw ability. If granted a nice draw
over 5f here he could big a big price in the morning and market support would
be encouraging.
Rest Assured was
an eye-catching 3rd last time out over 7f and looks a fair bet to
win the Nursery. She was ridden patiently off a steady gallop, giving first run
to her rivals but finished best. I’d expect the Deegan trained filly to be
ridden more prominently, the danger may lie in winner that day Whip up a Frenzy
who was unlucky to be collared late on here last week by Dalewari. But a 3lb
pull and better positioning may be enough to turn the tables.
Hash Tag Hero
could be a big price if the Andy Oliver gelding lines up in the 10f maiden. He
was dropped in at the rear on debut from a wide stall in a race won by Venezia.
This race was run at a crawl early on and they sprinted in the last 3f. The
reason I was taken by this ordinary looking performance on paper, was how the
horse on debut quickened from the rear as the pace heated up, wide around the
final bend. Hash Tag Hero’s run flattened out in the straight but it was a run
of much promise.
Alfaayza won with
a degree of authority here 3 weeks ago I thought, always travelled like the
best horse and didn’t win by further as sat too close to a frenetic pace early
and tired late on. A 2lb rise is not harsh and her trainer Pat Flynn is in form
after a quiet summer, 4 winners from his last 18 runners.
Elsewhere on the card Cebuano
is in great heart and back to a winnable make in the last and Maudlin Magdalen if getting an easier
time on the lead in the rated race would be my idea of the winner.
Is mise Banna Boirche.
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