Horse Racing Tips: Can Bolger strike on Sunday in Leopardstown 164/1 double?

• Two big field handicaps with four and five places on Sportsbook

• Money for Oriole from 20/121.00 into 14/115.00

• Alan Dudman is on the double hunt with a Sunday 164/1165.00 multiple

Leopardstown - 16:10: Back Ard Na Mara @10/111.00 EW

Big fields at Leopardstown are the order of the day for the two bets and it's a walk on the Bolger side with Jim - and a
rare selection on one of the trainer's runners.

It's staggering to see Jim Bolger so short of winners this term - just eight all year from 215 runners at just 4%.

If we can lift ourselves out of the gloom, and there are a few positives with his filly Ard Na Mara - who looked a nice type and prospect when finishing second to Fighter at the Curragh earlier in the season, she can hopefully set up the double. Fighter subsequently won the Petingo and is now rated 105, so that from looks even hotter now.

She duly got off the mark herself in a Punchestown maiden race and then was sent handicapping at Down Royal last time but appeared a complete non-stayer over 1m5f in very soft ground.

A drop in trip to 1m2f off a mark of 73 makes her very interesting on that Fighter run.

Leopardstown - 16:45: Back Oriole @ 14/115.00 EW

The 1m4f is the deepest race on Sunday for a Premier Handicap and while a couple of leading contenders are in from, the ground might be too soft for them.

I am thinking of Masoun for Johnny Murtagh - who is progressive with two out of two, but he's been winning on quicker going. I also looked at Sheila Lavery's Vestigia with the claim of Jack Cleary, but viewing his effort when winning at Roscommon, he looked a bit of a slow coach and I cannot believe he's handicapped to win a race of this nature from a tough-looking 94,

It leads me to Oriole for Natalia Lupini - and the trainer is on the hotlist at the moment with 3-18 at 17% and Lupini has certainly improved Oriole who scored well at Galway in August.

She made up the ground ever so easily at Ballybrit and loved the soft back in August, so she'll get her conditions on Sunday.and I do think she improvwes for the soft.

That's why I can forgive her effort in the Petingo Handicap last time as the ground would have been quick enough, and she was a 40/1 outsider too so she was up against it.

Off 84 with the soft a plus, Lupini can continue to improve this likeable mare and I don't see the draw in seven too much of a problem for her run style.

Since 2021, the last three renewals have seen stalls 12, 14 and 2 win, but in two of those, box nine and eight were in the runner-up spot.

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