Leopardstown Betting: Five Group races up for grabs

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

Niall Cronin's fancies, as the Dublin track takes on the Curragh's cancelled races.

A bumper eight race card at Leopardstown which amazingly got the go ahead this morning will play host to five group races, three of which have come from last Sunday's cancelled Curragh meeting.

While it is surely set to change throughout the day, the ground at the Foxrock venue was described as soft to heavy after this morning's inspection but the underfoot conditions are surely going to play havoc with some of the results and make it a gruelling test for these classy horses.

Jim Bolger's Cuis Ghaire is going to be the runner creating the most stir on today's card as the Galileo filly bids to return to winning ways at the track which her reputation was dented and she succumbed her unbeaten record to Rip Van Winkle.

After that performance, the latter was made new 2,000 Guineas favourite while Cuis Ghaire was pushed out for the fillies equivalent. Now a [10.5] second favourite for next year's classic, Cuis Ghaire was this morning trading at [2.3] for today's Ballygallon Stud Debutante Stakes and the reason for such odds is surely down to doubts over the ground.

As unoriginal as it sounds I still think once Jim Bolger feels willing to let her take her chance and he feels the ground is not an issue, that is good enough for me and I will be taking some of that [2.3], and also a bit of the [2.16] about Oui Say Oui to be placed.

Ground has almost certainly gone against my fancy in another of the Curragh imports, and that is Moiqen in the Royal Whip Stakes yet in saying that, what's good for the goose (or bad in this case) is good for the gander and none of the five runners here are going to be at ease with themselves on the ground and therefore I am going to stick with Kevin Prendergast's charge.

A tentative vote is given to the Red Ransom colt to claim the Group 2 success that he has run well enough to deserve and at least his form is there for all so see unlike Zulu Chief for whom we are forced to go on reputation rather than evidence.

It is significant that Johnny Murtagh has stayed loyal to King Of Rome despite Zulu Chief appearing the first of the Ballydoyle string after original declarations last week, but not for the first time Seamie Heffernan could lead home the Ballydoyle string but hopefully it will be behind Moiqen (4 this morning on Betfair).

Had he not have been in Deauville just seven-days ago contesting the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, Jumbajukiba would have been my idea of a certainty for today's Group 3 Desmond Stakes and while he will remain the selection, a niggling doubt sits there over his possible fatigue after the travelling exertions.

Jessica Harrington's extremely loyal five-year-old was bought for a jumping campaign which is well and truly gone up in smoke now but he will love this jumping like ground and should be able to dictate matters out in front so providing he can hold on in the final 150 yards, this years renewal of the one mile-contest is his to be won.

Dandy Nicholls again proved his speciality of producing sprinters for the big day when saddling a 1-2 in the Great St Wilfred Stakes at Ripon yesterday (I was on the second!!) and time and time again English trainers, led by Nicholls come to Ireland and harvest our five and six-furlong races.
Time and time again in this country Irish trained horses, are found wanting over the distance and not even Aidan O'Brien has found the key to breaking that trend. Today it looks like the Ballydoyle maestro will saddle the favourite for the Group 3 Phoenix Stakes in Georgebernardshaw [2.86], who was third last time out at the Curragh behind Jumbajukiba.

This time around Nicholls is represented by Masta Plasta a winner at the Curragh on his penultimate start but that was over five and six-furlongs on testing ground at the Leopardstown is likely to make this too much of a gruelling test for him.

A watching brief is best advised this time out as the true sprinter in the race (Masta Plasta) has a whole host of conditions going against him but at [4.3] to back on the machine this morning take a chance on Tracey Collins' Kyniska to be placed despite being off for 322 days she gets all the allowances and may well surprise people once all eight runners remain.