Bets of the Day: Balkos could still be on the upgrade at Clonmel

The drop in trip will favour Donal Hassett's charge

Back Balkos at 10/3 in the 15:00 Clonmel

It's been 69 days since we last saw Donal Hassett's charge Balkos, where he posted a a career-best effort when finishing third at Punchestown. He gets in here off an unchanged mark and he finds himself in an easier grade of competition and a drop in distance. Last time out he just seemed to fade in the latter stages so this drop back to two miles should help him. He's still unexposed and their could still be plenty more to come from the five-year-old.

The one he will have to beat is the favourite, Shantou Sisu who was beaten just a short head in similar conditions at this course earlier this month. He has only gone up 3lbs for that and Danny Mullins is in the plate. That said the eight-year-old was a beaten favourite last time out and is a 15-race maiden, she is short enough to take on in a 19-runner apprentice handicap to finally get over the line today.

Cosa Ban was unlucky last time out

Back Cosa Ban at 11/4 in the 14:30 Clonmel

Philip Dempsey only has the one runner today in the shape of the very unlucky Cosa Ban. The five-year-old mare had the race at her mercy when falling two out at Gowran Park earlier this month. She would have beaten a 124-rated rival on that occasion and there is nothing like that sort of form in this field. This is only the mare's fourth start under rules so providing she is none the worse for that incident, she should find herself in the winners enclosure today, gaining compensation for that late blunder.

It's a 17-runner maiden hurdle and there could easily be something in here that is going to run far better than has previously been seen, but there really doesn't look to be too much strength in depth here. The second favourite is She's All Vintage for Patrick Magee, the mare's last three starts haven't seen her go off less than 50/1 and shes been beaten by an accumulated 138 lengths in those three races. I watched her latest race on video and she did make some late headway in a mares' maiden at Navan three weeks ago, so you could argue this longer trip will be in her favour, but she is going to have to improve a fair bit to get anywhere near Cosa Ban in my opinion.