Irish Racing Betting - Galway 8th September Preview

005 Irish Racing / Darren Skelton / 08 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

Another bumper seven race card awaits us in Ireland today - Darren Skelton runs the rule over the best of the evening's fare.

4:25

The first race on the card is a decent little handicap, where cases could be made for every horse in the field. Jallissante may be moving close to a trip that may show her in a better light than previous efforts but she still has questions to answer about the ground. Hotspur as well would have been higher up on my short list if the going had've been a little firmer, he may still be there or thereabouts if the rain stays away today. As it is now I'm going to side with Chance Dance. This one put in a somewhat encouraging display in a decent maiden last time and although she was beaten over ten lengths she handled very heavy ground pretty well...this slight ease in the grand should suit her down to the....eh...ground... I think she will put in a much improved display today at a good price.

4:55

The obligatory horrible maiden - this time we're presented with eighteen horses who have yet to taste the sweet luncheon of victory. A minefield of a race in every way as we have some decent stables represented with newcomers and flat debutants. Love to Dance and Matters at Hand represent the two powerhouses of O Brien and Weld and will probably dominate the betting...however, I wouldn't recommend having a bet here as there are just too many unknown variables in the field.

5:25

The Adrilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes is the best race on today's card with a purse of over twenty-eight grand and will be contested by just seven horses. Honoria leads the O Brien charge but like just about every horse in this field, has questions to answer about the ground. She earned a pretty high mark after winning her maiden down in Wexford at odds of [1.4]...that doesn't exactly put her in the driving seat for this race but she did perform creditably enough in a group three last time where she finished in front of re-opposing horses Glitter Baby and Gentle on my mind. One would have to believe that that form should be upheld again today. Ghimaar could be the dark horse of the field after powering away to a very impressive win at the festival. It looked that day like he would go on to better things and all things going as they should, that higher level should be today.
Ghimaar would be my NB on today's card.

5:55

The first jumps race of the meeting and a very decent novice chase at that. Artiste Bay holds no worries about the ground, track or distance and is one with a live chance today. He has the beating of banana man on previous running may still have some improvement left in him. However, if Jessica Harrington has got Dreamy Gent's jumping together they may well be able to adopt the tactics that this horse relishes. Last year at the festival Dreamy Gent destroyed the opposition by making all - this is clearly what the horse likes to do so it's always better to do exactly what a horse prefers. If they let him bowl along today, I don't think he'll be caught.

6:25

That National Lottery may as well have sponsored this race because that's exactly what it is... A handicap hurdle with a maximum field of twenty and all we can do is find something at a price that may run well. After looking through the field for a longer than usual time for me in such a trappy race I've decided that Bru Na Si may be the interesting bet. He has every right to come on for his most recent run at wexford where he was returning from a lay off and looks to have a heap of improvement left in him. With the usual luck needed in such a big field I think that this one may have what it takes to take the prize.

6:55

Wow...A maiden hurdle of 20 horses...I'm sorry to grab the final parachute here guys but this really is not a race that deserves your money. Only 6 horses in this field have ever jumped an obstacle in public before so we really cannot have a bet...unless we know the trainer and he says that his horse is pinging hurdles like Istabraq at home. As usual guys, if you really want to have a bet, keep an eye on betfair's markets for clues or listen to as many pre race interviews as possible...but my advice....take out your notebook and take note of horses running with potential, they could be worth a bet next time.

7:25

The final race of the card and the race in which my NAP runs. I'm from Waterford so despite the fact that I'm writing this article with a very sore head and a broken heart I'm taking a little encouragement by the fact that my favourite horse of the Summer is running. Caim Hill is an animal of tremendous potential, let me just get that part out of the way. When he won his bumper he beat a horse that I had a nice packet on - a horse that I was told was really something special. So after this I was all over him like a rash for his debut race over hurdles...he duely hacked up in that race and there really is no telling how far this horse can go.
Caim Hill is my NAP of Galway's Monday Meeting.