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Perhaps a race for the jumping buffs to get their teeth into with still over a month to Charlie Hall day (
)..Competitive race as always with a few of the old warriors (Ansar, A New Story) turning out as a well as a few unexposed horses..
The Martin horse Royal County Star looks a typical Martin improver who should appreciate the step up in trip, although it’s more than slightly disconcerting than the great man apparently expects to improve considerably for the run.
Ballyagran seems to have really taken well to fences and ran a cracker in the Galway Plate but I’m not sure he’ll appreciate the fast ground.
Don’t really have a strong opinion on the race myself to be honest though I do like the look of Ballycullen Boy. Looks to have taken really well to fences, and would have won at Galway IMO had he not came down two out. Not sure the ground will suit (ideally wants genuine good ground with no sting).
What do we make of it then?
Ballyagran looks another improver but I prefer the martin horse over this distance. Looks to me like he’s needed a longer distance over fences and if its good or better he looks a decent bet.
I like Ursumman as well but unless its good to firm I wouldn’t be too keen on his chances of lasting home.
I backed Just in Debt for this last year and he ran a very good race.
Going to stick with him I think.
Hi all, Good grief Winter on the way already, i agree with Ballyagran and Ursumman although don’ be surprised if Messrs Mullins and Walsh have some kind of say in it.
I reckon Royal County Star could be the Dun Doire of this season. Don’t listen to God’s public pronouncements, you can bet he’ll be trained to the minute for this- wouldn’t surprise me if he won on the bridle. Ballyagran a clear second best, worth a saver.
Love this race.
I’ll have a couple of kopeks each-way on Darby Wall. Likes top-of-the-ground, has a couple of decent track runs to his name, only has 9-12, stays, and might be a couple of lbs ahead of the handicapper, after his form tailed-off at the end of last year.
Emotional Article looks good to me. Has an ideal profile in terms of age and position in the handicap. Also was second lto in the Tralee race which the last two winners of this had won on their most recent outing. Ballycullen Boy, mentioned above, is unexposed but hardly priced up as a ‘dark horse’.
I’ll row in with Ballycullen Boy too. Course winner and looks well up to upholding form with Emotional Article from their Limerick run earlier. Taaffe has been enduring a nightmare summer with just 3 of his 48 runners winning and his stable has been noticeably quiet of late. As a backer of Emotional Article at Tralee I think he may have missed the boat and that was his big chance of winning a valuable pot at a track he likes. Ballyagran needs to be fresh and I’m not sure he’s been off for long enough and also has stamina to prove.
Well done, but I reckon Royal County Star was a certainty beaten when he slipped up- follow him this year.
Of course ponmeoath will be trying – 100k races don’t come round every day of the week and the horse is fit and well.
Anyhow a 9lb rise and far quicker ground is enough to put a line through him. Darby Wall, having his initial run of the season in Listowel, has to be the selection with ruby stepping into the plate, and is weighted to turn it round with Ponmeoath. He will relish the ground as is only 3lb higher than his win at Cheltenham last year over similar conditions.
Mossbank also bears closer inspection at a bigger price given that he’s 2/2 on his first run of the season and is well handicapped (126 OR) on his novice form with a number of second season novices – mainly as a consequence of the Hourigan yard being so out of form for the majority of last season. With Russell likely to choose him over Hear The Echo, and Hourigan yard back in the winners enclosure, he warrants support also.
Agreed ratpack.
The ground quickly went against Darby Wall in the Kerry Nash, and on a sounder surface this time, he has a big chance imo.
Another tricky handicap indeed. Ground at Limerick will be a different kettle of fish to Listowel, where the rain before the off seemed to get in to the ground. Although the first two home in the Kerry National are obviously leading contenders here, I would just have a niggling doubt about whether either of them will be ideally suited by a surface as fast as today’s is likely to be.
Might pay to back one that is sure to relish the conditions, and with that in mind, I’ve had a small EW on Noel Meade’s ‘second-string’ Whataboutya. Loves fast ground, quite attractively handicapped, although I must admit I only got 8’s about him. Mossbank is another interesting runner, but Hourigan’s made a balls of him IMO and I couldn’t be backing him myself.
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