SHAMROCK’S DONE IT AGAIN! GALWAY NAPS HAT-TRICK: Shamrock completed a treble of best bets at the Galway races yesterday with Rainforest Magic (WON 5-4) following Blazing Tempo (WON 5-1) and Daffern Seal (WON 11-4).
TWO LAYS UP OUT OF TWO: He has also had two lays out of two at the Ballybrit festical so far: Mr Nosie (3rd 7-2) and Flowers Of Spring (4th 13-2).
It’s the Dermot Weld festival continued! Rosewell House just can’t stop winning at Ballybrit: the 4.30 two-year-old maiden (three wins) is his race today, according to the stats.
But his reaching for the blinkers for Hit The Jackpot rings alarm bells, with well-bred newcomers Shareni and Criostal in the field and Ballydoyle’s Mannheim having already had a run. Tricky one.
Mr Weld seems to dominate the opener, though there’s nothing much I can do to help you as the sun rises over the Needle, since he won’t decide until he’s walked the course whether Duc De Savoie or Natural High – or both – will run.
Rosewell House’s best chance all day is probably in the nursery with Blue White Fire (3.30), despite giving lumps of weight away to unexposed sorts, but he has Rock Critic (4.00) and Reach The Stars (5.00) paper favourites for two handicaps. Let’s check the handicaps out.
2.55 Galway: Trendelenburg has been my equine Dermot Weld: just can’t stop winning with him. Points, hurdles, Flat and fences: six wins out of 10. A grand servant to Gordon Elliott and the Barstool Prophets Syndicate.
His hurdles rating has gone up two stone since the first day of the year, and they’re having to claim off him today, with the race targeted by such as ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s Alfa Beat and Noel Meade’s Silverhand, both winners at last year’s festival. Silverhand had Sebadee back in fourth in this very race.
The problem with today’s field is whether 16-18 furlong winners like Meade’s other runner, London Bridge, the Henderson raider First In The Queue, and Willie Mullins’ Inspector Clouseau will get this 2m 6f.
There’s hardly any daylight between London Bridge and Inspector Clouseau on a line through Hans Crescent, with First In The Queue a couple of lengths behind them at 2m. My answer to the stamina question is London Bridge: his brother Battle Group won a 25-furlong Graded race at Aintree in the Spring.
I think London Bridge could really go places now stepped up in trip. It’s a hard race and I’ve booked some chips for 10.0, happy to take say 8.5 but prepared to move all in if a gamble develops.
4.00 Galway: Rock Critic, who put back-to-back wins together within five days last summer, kicking off at this festival, scored here from a seemingly bad draw two days ago and now has a plum inside stall.
Northern Rocked has the one berth but is up in the weights and big improver Jamesie has a stinker of a draw for another step up in trip, after winning over 5f and 6f.
5.00 Galway: Reach The Stars is blinkered first time, but it would be a blinkered punter who failed to expect yet another Weld winner at his greatest ever festival this afternoon.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
NAP: Rock Critic (4.00 Galway)
NEXT BEST: Blue White Fire (3.30 Galway)
BEST EACH-WAY: London Bridge (2.55 Galway)
DAQ TRIO: Blue White Fire (3.30 Galway), Rock Critic (4.00 Galway), Reach The Stars (5.00 Galway)
GALWAY-GOODWOOD DOUBLE: Investissement (2.35 Goodwood) and London Bridge (2.55 Galway)
