DAQMAN JACKPOTTING WITH THYESTES TARGET HORSE AT 15.0: Jackpot king Daqman, the biggest rival to Pricewise, names one horse – a 15.0 outsider – in the Thyestes test today for the trainer who took it with National winner Hedgehunter. It’s a horse left by Ruby Walsh for Paul Townend to ride. Is that a Ruby rick?
The spotlight is back on the big two today. Tony McCoy returns at Warwick and Ruby Walsh is with the movers and the Shakervilz at Gowran Park.
Shakervilz is seemingly Ruby’s choice over three other Willie Mullins runners in the prestigious Thyestes Chase (3.05) but maybe Ruby – though advertised as a 10st 1lb jockey – didn’t want to get down to 10st 1lb to ride On His Own.
Willie Mullins is out on his own as Ireland’s leading trainer, and out on his own on the recent Thyestes record, with three winners this century, but he worries that Shakervilz has too much weight and On His Own needs better ground.
Some Target is his horse for the mud and is the one certain to be staying on at the finish, having already won a National trial over 3m 4f and having finished well when given plenty to do in the amateurs four-miler at the Cheltenham Festival.
He was closing on the runner-up Ad Idem (I hope we all agree) when fourth at Navan in November, getting detached early, as is his way, so likely to trade better than his SP during the first half of the race.
Ad Idem has already beaten no fewer than 12 of today’s field in that Navan chase and at Leopardstown over Christmas but his connections have chosen to replace the boy who did so well on in him then with the professional Andrew McNamara, so losing the 7lb claim and leaving him off top weight.
Bob Lingo, ninth at Leopardstown, has stepped up to around today’s trip the last twice, unfancied at 25-1 and 33-1, but in fact there hasn’t been a penny for him since his novice days at this time last year when he took a beginners’ chase after 15 months and six failed attempts over fences.
A run on him may not be indicative today, since he is a Pricewise tip but, if there is not much movement, I would forget him. Until Siegemaster brought a bit of class to proceedings last year, 10-year-olds had a dismal record (0-40) in the race this century.
The other Pricewise horse, Adams Island, has never won on a clockwise track: every one of the last 10 winners of the Thyestes had all scored the right way round.
But Adams Island was aimed at top-class races in England, ‘lifted’ by McCoy to get a Graded place and a second at Cheltenham. Geraghty’s yer man to ‘lift’ him again but, with the Pricewise money, he may well start favourite, having already leapfrogged the paper jollies On His Own and Glam Gerry, whose trainer pinches the 7lb boy who did so well on Ad Idem. Glam Gerry is a horse in form, but is not certain to get the trip.
Start Me Up has a fine record right-handed and gets in the race over the same stable’s Stephanie Kate; his winning novice form has been boosted by wins for the second and third.
Gigginstown, owners of Start Me Up, also have Rivage D’Or but he seemed to struggle in the Paddy Power and may be too high in the weights, whereas Start Me Up will carry around the minimum and is on the upgrade. Claimers do well in this race.
Western Charmer has a touch of class but a big weight; The Bishop Looney has a low weight, goes very well right-handed and loves the mud, but in fact is high in the ratings after winning the Cork National. Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde in 2004-5 set this race back on a pedestal as the Grand National test it used to be. If I had to choose one from this field for Aintree, it would be Some Target, winner of the Punchestown Grand National trial (3m 4f) a year ago and, I believe, aimed at this race today: 15.0 this morning.
Tony McCoy makes his return in the Warwick bumper (4.25) on Key To The West, always likely to be favourite, but odds on this morning put me off.
My bet at the meeting will be Romulus d’Artaix, who ran a fine second over hurdles on the course and was always reckoned to be a chaser in the making.
I can’t fancy the plater Ockey De Neulliac at this level; I shall swerve the O’Neill runners without McCoy, and Arctic Ben is much better at 2m.
It’s a race that often provides a turn-up and it could be Reginaldinho, also now switched to fences and with the stable having won this last year at 10-1.
DAQMAN’S BET
WIN-30 JACKPOT: 2.1pts win and place SOME TARGET (3.05 Gowran Park)
BET (to win 20pts): 4.3pts win REGINALDINHO and 4pts win ROMULUS D’ARTAIX (3.25 Warwick)
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