Nass Betting Preview: A rare, mixed, competitive card

005 Irish Racing / Johnny Ward / 23 July 2008 / Leave a Comment

Johnny Ward looks ahead to the best betting opportunities tonight at Naas.

Naas stages a rare mixed card on Wednesday evening and the variety is likely to entice more feet through the stiles. The feature race is actually over the jumps, with the most prizemoney on offer of the evening in what is a trappy Donoghue Group Hurdle. Quite a few of these are in with a shout at the weights, and Miss Glacial is put forward tentatively at [10.0]. She was something of a revelation at Downpatrick last time, improving after a year-long break on very modest previous form. What was notable that day was how easily she travelled throughout, and she totally outpaced Eyeffess up the long hill (implying that the stiff finish will suit her here). Eyeffess was well-backed that day into odds-on and was 100-rated; at least in that context she has prospects here against the main players, who all generally were well-held on their last run.

A worthy favourite in the ISS Recruitment Mares Maiden Hurdle is Youngborogal, though it seems probable that Davy Russell - injured yet again in Ballinrobe on Tuesday evening - will miss the ride. She is now rated 102 and is worthy of that, having given the well-handicapped Mr Bones a hard race last time at Kilbeggan. Usually a three-figured mark would entitle a horse to strong claims in a mares' maiden and such is the case here: she looks a bet at [3.1]. Ruby Walsh's presence aboard the somewhat exposed Whatdoyouthinkmac is liable to make her an artificially short price and she has to improve a stone on her best form to win this.

The lock of the day is on the level. Joe Murphy's Douze Points, [3.4], stands out a mile in the Yeomanstown and Morristown Lattin Studs European Breeders Fund Maiden. If Aidan O'Brien trained him, rather than second-favourite Born to Be King, Douze Points would be in the region of [1.7], so draw your own conclusions. Born to Be King is born to be running over further than this six furlongs. What he has in his favour is that he was debuting when Douze Points was having his second run behind the smart Westphalia last time. There were more than ten lengths between them though so it would take a major improvement for form reversal. Murphy's colt should be at his optimum trip here and exhibited considerable promise on his debut when not beaten far by the smart Heart of Fire. His half-sister March Star was a Stakes-class sprinter.

Ballydoyle have a few very interesting runners on the card, with Great Barrior Reef trading at [1.75] in the opening Naas Maiden. This colt underlined the folly of going blindly on ratings when beaten last time by a horse rated the guts of three stone his inferior, but progression from that seasonal bow ought to make him difficult to better here. However, I am led to fear Tommy Stack's Dotada, who is reportedly showing plenty at home; indeed, Wayne Lordan apparently prefers her to David Wachman's Astonish, backed off the boards here last time albeit rated 67 now. There are a few others capable of improvement and I would take the favourite on for small stakes at the price.

O'Brien introduces Alexandrova's brother in the Coolmore Hurricane Run (C & G) Maiden. It may be merely coincidental that the owners sponsor the race but Masterofthehorse has much to live up to before he even gets a chance to show his worth. The Racing Post's 5-1 tissue about Jim Bolger's Gan Amhras looked optimistic and so it is, with not a great deal to split the pair in the morning betting. It is advisable to wait to see how it unfolds pre-race.

Ballydoyle's Mystical Lady is marginally preferred to Excelerate in the August Bank Holiday Family Day Race, but at [3.8] she is hardly a gift, particularly as she could be forgiven potential fatigue after nine runs since mid-April. It is not a race I would get involved in.