Tipperary Betting Preview: Thursday evening's card

005 Irish Racing / Editor / 07 August 2008 / Leave a Comment

John McDermott highlights the best bets on Thursday evening's card at Tipperary.

There is a decent card on offer this evening at Tipperary with three hurdles and four on the flat including a listed event to entice punters. With the ground on the yielding side of good, those that like to get their toe in will be high on the list of recommended bets.

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden gets us under way with Sugar Free a confident selection to see off market rival Silver Shoon. Tommy Stack's filly was third behind Westphalia and Intense Focus first time out at the Curragh in May and both have gone on to be placed in Group company. She was only beaten a length in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot when fifth and a similar run will be good enough this evening. She currently trades at [2.1] on Betfair which should be taken, as anything greater than evens is value I my book.

Advice: Sugar Free to win.

I have a real soft-spot for horses that come back year after year on the flat and Senor Benny is one of my favourites. Despite not having visited the winner's enclosure since last October, he looks a decent bet for a win and place at [7.8] and [2.5]. He has won twice over this distance at Tipperary and with the ground in his favour he is taken to put one over on these young bucks in the Super Sunday on 5th Oct Handicap.

Advice: Senor Benny to win and place.

Brutto Facie will be having his fourth outing for Michael O'Brien since transferring from Jessica Harrington at the start of the season. He looks to be running into form with a good second to Schindler's Gold at Fairyhouse a month ago. He will relish the underfoot conditions and with the O'Brien yard in good form, he is good value at [6.4] to take the Pride of Tipperary Hurdle. Quinmaster and Powerstation are the obvious dangers but both may need a firmer surface to display their best.

Advice: Brutto Facie to win

I'm not looking any further than the all conquering O'Brien/Murtagh combination in the Listed Coolmore Hurricane Run Stakes. Westphalia won his first two at the Curragh and was second to Bushranger last time out. A stumble at the start didn't help his chances that day and [1.8] or anything close to evens should be snapped up this evening. This will be his first outing over seven furlongs but this shouldn't be any problem for the Danehill Dancer colt based on his performances over six. If Sugar Free wins the first, then Westphalia could end up trading pretty short so an early bet here may be prudent.

Advice: Westphalia to win.

The Derrinstown Stud Handicap looks a bit of a minefield and is one for a small bet unless you are 'in the know' on something. Tigim ran well last week at Galway and has form on yielding ground. I remember backing his sire Fayruz many times in what seems a lifetime ago. He is 2.3 for a place which is pretty short but I'd invest if he were to make it out to 3's. Princess Charmante is another for the place shortlist as John Murphy's yard looks to be running into a bit of form. It's difficult to make a case for anything else so it's Tigim for a place and onto the next event.

Advice: Tigim for a place.

Rochester Row at [3.0] is the market leader but didn't set the world on fire in a bumper at Roscommon two weeks ago. Avanti Albert has won in Germany but has yet to show he is up to the hurdling game. That said, he has been off the track since March and it's very likely he will deliver a much improved performance for the Tony Martin / Ruby Walsh combination in the Tipperary Lions Club Maiden Hurdle. I would be willing to take a chance on him for a win at [11.0] but his current place price of [1.6] will need to be a realistic [2.8] before matching a bet. Two Timer and Nazdaq are other possibles but a risky bet on Avanti Albert is the choice.

Advice: Avanti Albert to win and place.

Eddie Power managed to get Dorset Square home at Limerick last time out despite a broken rein and a slipping saddle. In hopefully less testing conditions, he is taken to get John Murphy's gelding home in front again in the final race of the day, the Hideout Pub Handicap Hurdle. I'm blaming his swishing tail on the saddle and not on an un-genuine attitude and believe there is more to come from Dorset Square now that he has found the winners enclosure. Gerard Keane's team has been in good form lately and their Monahullan Prince is the main danger to our selection having run well at the Galway festival.
Recommended: Dorset Square to win