Racing Nerd

 It looks an excellent card at Naas tomorrow with something for everyone. I believe we may even see a Royal Ascot winner throughout the day. I will be keeping a particularly close eye on Aidan O Brien's Caravaggio filly Contarelli Chapel who looked the real deal on her debut three weeks ago. From a betting point of view, it is the Group 3 6f contest for three-year-old's, that has grabbed my attention. I am willing to forgive A Case Of You a poor effort last time and I think we are getting a couple of points on his price as a result. In fairness, based on that run, he should be 10/1 but surely that was too bad to be true. Prior to that he looked better than a Group 3 performer, particularly at Dundalk on his reappearance comfortably disposing of Logo Hunter and Mooneista despite giving them 5lb and 10lb respectively. That form was franked a couple of times since. The selection also got the better of current market rival Lipizzaner at the Curragh last season. If he shows his true...

 The handicaps under a mile this week at York have seen an unusual trend develop. On Wednesday, Mr Lupton at the ripe old age of eight won the 6f handicap. Thursday was the turn of seven-year-olds Copper Knight and Kynren to win their respective handicaps. I am hoping the trend of older horses continues and I am willing to give Muntadab another chance. He was a winner for the blog last July and ran an eye-catching race two starts ago when selected again at Musselburgh. Similar comments apply as he is looking really well handicapped once again. He is certainly not the force of old but he won off a mark of 87 at Epsom and has actually been dropped 2lb since the Musselburgh run off 80. While yet to win at York from four attempts, he has posted three cracking efforts in defeat. In particular, his only try at his preferred 7f trip, when he was third off a mark of 100. He has a neck second off 97 over 6f too adding further substance to his liking around here. Those runs were three and fo...

Having suggested backing Easy Game to win the Grade Two contest at Fairyhouse on Irish Grand National Day at a shorter price, I cannot resist putting him forward to win a cracking contest at Killarney. While at risk of repeating myself, the key to this horse is getting his optimum conditions, two and a half miles on decent ground, which he should get here again. He took his form figures when granted those conditions over fences to 121121 with his Fairyhouse win. The two defeats coming at the hands of Faugheen in an epic renewal of the Grade 1 Flogas at Leopardstown and a respectable effort behind a fresh Battleoverdoyen at Down Royal. In the latter contest, he had Samcro a neck back in third and they are weighted the same in this contest. While there are some showers forecast, soft ground would be fine and unless the weather is completely wrong, it is hard to envisage it getting any worse than that. It was actually officially soft ground when he beat Allaho over this sort of trip at Le...

The magnificent Honeysuckle and the equally magnificent Rachael Blackmore were the racing heroines at Punchestown on Friday. She is just far superior to all other two-mile hurdlers at the moment and had the luxury of taking a very long look at the last before getting down to business again to hold off Sharjah. Much of the debate afterwards revolved around a potential chasing career. That will be a discussion that I am sure the team will have but for now we should enjoy the brilliant performances she has given us this season ably assisted by her wonderful jockey. She has danced every dance and to remain unbeaten is a testament to all involved. She appears to be getting better and improving all the time and whatever rout they take she has the National Hunt world at her feet. It was disappointing we didn’t get to see Bob Olinger again and Gaillard Du Mesnil was a workmanlike winner of the Grade 1 novice hurdle. I was delighted to see David Maxwell get his head in front aboard Bob and Co...

It continues to be the Willie Mullins show and the Closutton team have had an incredible week at Punchestown. On Thursday it was the turn of Klassical Dream to blow us away in the Stayers Hurdle. Undoubtedly, some of the market principles underperformed for various reasons but Ronald Pump is a pretty solid yardstick and the fact he was easily dismissed in third gives the form some substance. Then there was Energumene. The performance just magnified the feeling that we missed something spectacular at Cheltenham. Hopefully he meets Shishkin at some point next season, it will be one hell of a race. For what it’s worth, I just can’t see any horse beating Energumene on his day. What he did timewise in comparison to Chacun Pour Soi at Leopardstown was very good, particularly as Chacun appears unbeatable away from Cheltenham. It hasn’t been the fairytale week for Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore but one feels that the traditional Ladies Day Friday may be Rachael’s day this year as sh...

It was a frustrating day from a tipping point of view on Wednesday as I pulled Gallopin Des Champs before posting after his price collapsed, while the sole selection Kemboy was very disappointing in the Gold Cup. To add further insult to injury, Clan Des Obeaux won again having been one of my fancies of the season when only third in the King George. Gallopin Des Champs was incredibly impressive and one can’t help but feel that we will be hearing plenty more about him next season. Similar comments apply to Kilcruit who confirmed the feeling that he was unlucky at Cheltenham when turning the tables on Sir Gerhard comprehensively. What a stable of superstars Willie Mullins has at his disposal. Moving on to Thursday and of all the days this week, I found it particularly difficult to find a bet. I am looking forward to seeing Energumene again. It was an awful shame he missed Cheltenham and the clash with Shishkin. Hopefully, he can be as impressive here as he has been all season and we ca...

What an opening day we had at the Punchestown festival! Chacun Pour Soi was back to his spectacular best in the Champion Chase. One can only wonder if they had decided to be more aggressive at Cheltenham, would the result have been different. Echoes In Rain was very impressive in the Novice Hurdle. I think she could be a dark horse for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next year. I really like her. While we didn’t get the clash we were anticipating in the Grade 1 Novice Chase, Colreevy deserves unbelievable credit. What a tough mare she is! I wonder if the owner’s are regretting covering her? I am sure the foal will be worth a few quid all the same!! There is plenty of quality ahead of us tomorrow once again. While it is a pity that Minella Indo was withdrawn from the Gold Cup, we have a small but select field. Al Boum Photo, who went down fighting in his attempt at history in March, sets the standard. However, it was a hard race at Cheltenham and I prefer his stablemate Kemboy who ...