Sunday Irish Racing Tips: Nansen worth backing again following good Curragh run

Alan Dudman
02 June 2019

Alan's focus on Sunday is at Listowel with three of the handicaps

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It may be a relatively low-key punting card for Listowel on Sunday, but Alan Dudman has found three bets for the afternoon....

"He also raced furthest away from the action on the wing and ended up in the wrong part of the track."

Back Fridtjof Nansen @ 8.207/1 in the 16:40 at Listowel

Kitten looks the best bet for Weld in opener

There are three maidens on the card for Sunday at Listowel and the first kicks off the afternoon at 13:45.

The race wouldn't be top of the tree in terms of having a punt for the meeting, but Dermot Weld's Britannia Kitten was vaguely interesting when I scanned the race for the first time on Friday evening.

His debut behind Mohican Heights was a promising effort. He finished fourth and the winner made all, but Britannia Kitten was going just as well with two-and-a-half furlongs to go. He didn't quite have the instant pick-up and faded towards the end, but that might have been down to the fact it was his first run.

The ground was good to soft that day and rain is forecast for the weekend. He drops down slightly in trip for this race and with Dermot Weld operating at a strike-rate of 21% at the time of writing, Britannia Kitten is potential bet material and was a reasonable price at 4/1 last night on the Sportsbook.

Dermot weld winners 1280 .jpg

One trade from the front and filly to go well from low weight

The previous 14:20 is a poor race and is readily passed over in favour of having a go at the 3yo handicap at 14:55.

Any rain should suit the front-running Check My Pulse, who won his maiden at the track last term over a slightly shorter trip. He has come down in the weights from 87 to 82 and has to bounce back off top-weight following two poor runs this term.

He probably didn't stay 1m last time, and is an obvious back-to-lay trade for this.

My win bet here is the filly from a low weight - Meryens Way.

She is another who will love any of the rain that is forecast, with Sunday showers showers expected. Whether it materialises is another matter.

Her track has been Gowran Park this season with two wins out of three and she stays 7f and 1m well. She also travelled strongly when last seen and she could get the perfect set-up with Check My Pulse. Off the back of a personal best, I'll back her at around the 5.04/1 mark.

O'Brien has a chance with Papal Count

Trainer Richard O'Brien is a most progressive handler, and I am backing the yard's Papal Count for his handicap debut. Back him at 5.04/1 or bigger to win.

Rated just 64, he sneaks into this low grade 0-65 and runs off top weight. I never mind backing horses at the top of the weights in handicaps, so we'll see how this 4yo fares dipping his toes into these sort of waters for the first time.

He's a well bred horse who showed virtually nothing for Ralph Beckett in the UK from a handful of starts previously, but he displayed a bit more in a course and distance maiden last time out in soft conditions.

The winner that day (Jassaar) came from a similar sort of position to Papal Count, and he absolutely breezed past O'Brien's horse to score easily. Jassaar was rated 85 in the race, but Papal Count, having been briefly outpaced, stayed on well to finish third and that was his first bit of form.

He'll stay further, but any soft in the going description will help.

Nansen can build on unlucky Curragh effort

Fridtjof Nansen ran last weekend at the Curragh in quite a competitive handicap over 6f, and I'll give him another chance to hit the frame following his staying-on third in that race.

Fridtjof Nansen 1280 .jpg

His record is 0-11 and he was rated in the low 80s with John Oxx last term, but he looks as though he can win from his current rating now with new trainer Kieran Cotter.

The key to his chance could be the extra half furlong for this race. Last time was over 6f and he couldn't lie up with the early speed and got shuffled back. He also raced furthest away from the action on the wing and ended up in the wrong part of the track.

Again, he's a selection that should appreciate any rain to make not only the ground slower, but also his rivals in a finish as Fridtjof Nansen has raced over 1m2f and will certainly stay on well.

He could also be a possible back at a higher price in-running to use Keep Bets.

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Recommended bets

Back Meryems Way @ 5.04/1 in the 14:55 at Listowel
Back Papal Count @ BSP in the 16:05 at Listowel
Back Fridtjof Nansen @ 8.207/1 in the 16:40 at Listowel