Irish Horseracing Betting: Tramore day 1 preview

005 Irish Racing / Editor / 14 August 2008 / Leave a Comment

Day one of the Tramore August Meeting will see some sunshine after a week of monsoon-like weather. It's a mixed jumps and flat card and is going to be a real test for punters. Darren Skelton takes a detailed look at the opening day's card.

The first race kicks off at 5:15 and it's possibly the most daunting betting proposition on the whole card. I know I go on a bit about the danger of maiden races but you know the way your mammy used to warn you of the danger of strange men....well this particular maiden is a strange man with a mask and a machete...a maiden ladies race. I don't mean to be in any way sexist but if I'm going to write a betting advice column I'd be letting my readers down by not giving them the unadulterated misogynistic truth - ladies races are scary as hell. This particular one is filled with ladies who are unreservedly pretty but undoubtedly inexperienced. My advice would be to admire the fillies in the parade ring but avoid the betting ring.

5:45 race is a pretty low grade flat handicap but since low grade is going to be the order of the day, we're going to have to start somewhere. Probable favourite Pointed Arch has been racing in slightly better races than this but is a dubious betting proposition. Despite coming from the powerful John Oxx stable his best race to date so far has been on good to firm ground and he didn't look like he stayed the trip...he runs over the same trip today but on much softer ground...so he's basically running further than 1m4f. For this reason alone, before we can even find an alternative, Pointed Arch sticks out as a lay to me. Despite a lack of obvious form, Who Needs a Hand may be worth a speculative bet just because of his trainer. Pat Flynn is the local trainer around here and always seems to do well at this meeting despite the horse's apparent lack of recent form. That's definitely one thing to keep an eye on for this meeting. Other local trainers include Eoin Doyle and John Queally - so look out for those names in the coming days.

The 6:15 race sees a step in the right direction, quality wise. John Carr's Compton Court was an unlucky loser last time but has gone up in the weights as a result and the fear is that he has missed his winning chances for now. Gladiole on the other hand seems to be coming together at just the right time. A previous winner in Germany, this Gerard Cully horse looks to have found a suitable opportunity to get off the mark in this country. She was staying on to great effect in a better race in Cork last time and I'd be surprised if she didn't score here.

The 6:45 race is a tricky maiden (where have you heard that before?) but features some horses representing some powerful yards so the only advice I can really give you is to keep a close eye on the pre-race markets. In races like these, hands are not usually played until the last minute so keep the ink dry until late on...if nothing seems to be happens it will probably mean that everyone else is as clueless as you and me, so a no bet will suffice
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The 7:15 race is the first of the jumps action and it's great to see Ruby visiting our humble south east track. It's hard to see any reason for him coming down for this meeting tonight except to pick up a few winners. He's the winner of this race on form but we'll have to take it on trust that he'll handle looser ground than he's used to. Any drift of this favourite might have me worried but if it does happen the only viable alternative is the bottom horse whose penalty for a recent win is negated by the jockey's seven pound claim. Has a bit to find with the favourite but is proven on the ground.

The 7:45 is a maiden hurdle and despite the presence of Ruby on another favourite with a seemingly obvious chance we have to tread carefully cause there are a lot of horses tackling obstacles for the first time that really could be anything. On bare form, Liberty Love, the probably favourite put in a sound round of jumping at Roscommon last time and probably suffered from exhausted waiting tactics. This time around he'll probably dictate the pace and hopefully see off some unknown ex flat horses.

The 8:15 is a proper Tramore handicap, in that it's a big field and very difficult to predict. Last time out winner Hu Ha Joe will be popular following a runaway success at Wexford. A decent 7lb claimer offsets the 6lb penalty for that win. However, one important thing to remember about Tramore is that not all horses handle the undulating track very well, of course as punters we have to just hope and trust that they will. Hu Ha Joe has had a lot of the principals behind him before so it's hard to make a case for anything else here. Ruby's mount, Naughty by Nature is one of those horses but it's hard to see that one reverse the form, unless the fitting of blinkers for the first time helps.

All in all it's going to be a tricky evening in Tramore tonight so keep your bets to a minimum. For this first night of the meeting keep an eye on how the track is riding and also what trainers look to be firing on all cylinders. This may seem like obvious advice but it holds more water than usual at a track like Tramore. Good luck with your bets!