Timeform Irish SmartPlays: Sink your teeth into Lamb or Cod

Tipping / Timeform / 09 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Thurles is the only National Hunt meeting in Britian and Ireland today

"With nothing of Argocat's potential in the race, Lamb or Cod should go one better than over this C&D last month"

Timeform's Irish department bring you three SmartPlay selections for this afternoon's jumps meeting at Thurles.

Lamb or Cod (15:10) is bred to need further than a bare two miles, by Old Vic and half-brother to a staying chaser, so it bodes well that he was still able to step up on his bumper form when second to the above-average Argocat at the track on his hurdling debut. The Willie Mullins pair Bold Banks and Hammersmith are sure to be prominent in the betting, but the former has looked a real staying type so far, whilst Hammersmith has to bounce back from a poor run at Limerick. With nothing of Argocat's potential in the race, Lamb or Cod should go one better than over course and distance last month.

Go All The Way is clearly a good recruit to hurdling, but his sporadic
appearances on the track suggest he's not the easiest to train, and he's worth
taking on with Perfect Gentlemen (15:40), who won his only bumper start and has the benefit of that recent outing behind him. The Willie Mullins-trained gelding beat Finish The Story easily at Cork last month, just needing to be kept up to his work to score by five lengths, and he's open to improvement. The form of the Jim Dreaper yard would also be a negative for the likely favourite.

The penultimate race on the card looks a particularly competitive affair with plenty of strong recent form on offer and it could pay to oppose the top weight, Black Mac (16.15), who is unproven at the trip and has been raised 5 lb for finishing runner-up to Pass The Hat at Naas last time. Recent winners Clashnabrook and Immediate Response remain capable of better still and look set to take plenty of beating, whilst Owennacurra Milan and Volkis O'Blue make more appeal from a handicapping point of view. Black Mac can be laid in the place market at around [2.7].

Timeform SmartPlays

Back Lamb Or Cod in the 15:10
Back Perfect Gentlemen in the 15:40
Place lay Black Mac in the 16.15

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