Sunday's Irish Horseracing Betting: Cork and Ballinrobe

005 Irish Racing / Editor / 24 August 2008 / Leave a Comment

Evening Herald columnist Niall Cronin looks at today's Irish action...

Today's domestic action doesn't really make it onto the same radar as what we witnessed at Newmarket yesterday, but at the same time the races are there to be won and there are winners there to be backed. Hopefully across the two Irish cards we manage to pick up a few.

Beginning at Cork, we will start by looking at the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Hurdle, where Eric McNamara will attempt to carry 11st12lbs on testing ground. While the weight will obviously be a factor, the ground shouldn't be too much of a hindrance to the seven-year-old who won in similar conditions at Navan last January.

On ratings, Ted Walsh's Heavenly Blues has a pound in hand but that is really not worth talking about and with Ruby onboard, this one is set to have plenty of supporters but he is certainly one I would be laying.

His run at Galway on the level when he finished third was respectable at best and he would just appear to be a horse who has failed to live up to his seeming potential. Valain failed to handle the ground in the Galway Hurdle and he will be another where the red button will be pressed and Larkwing would have to be selected to take home the honours.

One for a place is Sabrina Harty's Bullhill Flyer who showed some good form before picking up an injury and should come on leaps and bounds for his last run.

Sticking with the National Hunt action for now and I am going to go straight to the concluding bumper where Liz Doyle sends out Twelfth Of Never who can get off the mark at the fourth time of asking.

Doyle was responsible for providing the talented amateur with his first ever winner on the track and the pair can team up again here with this daughter of Dushyantor who was fifth last time out at Wexford but conditions and the track may be more suitable on this occasion.

From the last to the first race at Mallow and David Wachman's Cat By The Tale may just still have a bit in hand of the handicapper on the basis of his win on the Curragh last time out and the filly by Tale Of The Cat looks good enough to oblige here in the hands of Wayne Lordan.

It is a trainer/jockey combination which has proved profitable over the last couple of seasons and, while this filly may be short priced for a handicap, she looks well able to hold off these average rivals.

Again looking at the place market, Apt Son could be one who may prove profitable for Frank Ennis and Davy Moran.

Declan McDonogh was out of luck at the Curragh yesterday when touched off in the valuable sales race by his stable mate, but the former Champion Jockey can obtain some ever so slight compensation by taking the Coolmore One Cool Cat maiden over seven-furlongs.

Riding Nafaath for his boss Kevin Prendergast, the Nayef colt bumped into one too good on his debut in the shape of Drumbeat.

The sponsors' representative comes in the shape of Fourstars General and while it would no surprise to see him improve, Nafaath has pretty much proved himself on the ground and can lose his maiden tag here.

Up west and the action is at Ballinrobe and here we will concentrate on the opening three races, the last of which can see Sesenta returning to winning ways in the CP Supplies Handicap.

Davy Condon, who is in his final weeks as part of the Willie Mullins team before departing to take up the job as stable jockey to Nicky Richards, takes the ride on this four-year-old who has failed to grace the winners enclosure since early January over hurdles.

Her run when second at Galway, however suggested that she does have the ammunition to score on the level and Gordon Elliott's Valerius who would pose the biggest threat to the selection.

Joanna Morgan is renowned for a having a string of mainly good ground horses but course and distance winner Lora Celeb would appear not to be too pushed on conditions and can continue her consistent run of form by passing the judge in front here. In the opener, Celtic Soprano can build from his promising debut effort at the Curragh to score for Seamus O'Donnell and Fran Berry.