Irish Horseracing Betting: Listowel day two

005 Irish Racing / Editor / 17 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

John McDermott goes through the card on the second day of the Listowel Festival featuring the Kerry National.

The National Hunt season really gets under way today with the Kerry National, the highlight of an excellent card at Listowel. Ruby Walsh will be looking to follow up on a successful opening day at the festival and has a number of good rides. Eight Up is sure to be all the rage with Walsh aboard, but my preference in the opener, the Intervet/schering-plough Animal Health Maiden Hurdle, is for Salesin. Boots Madden has done a nice job with this one since he was transferred from Jonjo O'Neill's yard. He has winning form on soft ground and was only half a length behind South Wing at Clonmel two weeks ago. At [6.0], he looks excellent value to get boots and slippers off to a winning start.
Advice: Salesin to win.


Just seven go to post for the Ballygarry House Hotel Novice Hurdle but it's a really open contest with just four-and-a-half points separating the field in the betting market. Garrai Ard ran well yesterday to finish second behind Vale Of Avocia but back-to-back runs on heavy ground puts me off her. James Motherway's Define has been in good form and comes here of the back of a good win on testing ground at Kilbeggan. He has to give weight all round which may prove too much over the two miles and four trip so preference is given to Afasheen who eased home at Clonmel last time out. He has had three weeks off and should be ready to find the winners enclosure again. The [4.7] available as I write should be taken as I can't see this getting any bigger.
Advice: Afasheen to win.


I'm struggling to find the profile of a winner in the Ladbrokes Ireland Handicap Hurdle (Div I) and may sit this one out. But if pushed for a bet, I'd have a small wager on Orange Touch who is sure to come on from his season opener at Kilbeggan a month ago. Second to the consistent Splurge at Limerick last December shows he has the form to beat this lot and at [7.2] is good value for that small bet.
Advice: Orange Touch to win.


Swiss Cottage is taken to give Niall Madden a double by landing the Lynch's Bakery Handicap Hurdle (Div II). He seems to go on all surfaces and does throw in the odd poor performance but his third behind subsequent Galway winner Reisk Superman at Sligo over this afternoon's distance was decent form. Novel Investment is the main danger having found the frame on his last three outings but the [9.2] about Swiss Cottage is too good to pass up.
Advice: Swiss Cottage to win.


With Mister Top Notch declared to run, Davenport Democrat will go off at a nice weight in this afternoon's big event, the Guinness Kerry National. He has been running all summer and so comes here fit and well. With Ruby on board and looking to follow up on yesterday's double, punters are sure to get stuck into the [10.0] on offer. The place selection is Openide who is a regular raider to these shores. He ran a cracker at Cheltenham in the Kim Muir and had a spin on the all-weather at Lingfield two weeks ago to get him ready for his big day.
Advice: Davenport Democrat to win, Openide to place.


Alabama Banjo is the selection in the John F. McGuire Beginners Chase on a day that local trainer Eric McNamara has a number of excellent chances. The seven-year-old gelding finished a long way behind Kalderon at Killarney in August but should come on from that first outing over the larger obstacles. He has won on soft ground over hurdles and at [7.4] is good value to open his account over fences.
Advice: Alabama Banjo to win.


Jamie's Choice is the obvious choice to give Philip Rothwell his first winner of the meeting in the Seamus Mulvaney Handicap Chase. He arrives here on the back of three straight wins and he has his favoured soft ground again this afternoon. Heads On The Ground has top weight to carry and is well above these on official ratings but Enda Bolger has bigger targets for this one later in the season and I can't see him being driven home in a finish. The [2.8] on offer for Jamie's Choice is skimpy enough but he is the nap of the day and the bailout option if things come to that.
Advice: Jamie's Choice to win.


The bumper has a number of newcomers to a racetrack and is a difficult one to call. Ifyoucouldseemenow had a good second on her first outing at Gowran last April and is the likely favourite on the strength of that run. But when you're finding it difficult to pick one in a bumper, just go with Nina Carberry and if she doesn't win, she will go close. Nina rides the Supreme Leader mare Missy O'Brien for Mags Mullins whose yard is in good form and with stats few and far between, that is good enough for me. It's Missy O'Brien to send punters home happy by landing the Shannon House Foynes Flat Race.
Advice: Missy O'Brien to win.