NAP AND TREBLE UP! Shamrock’s best bet, Blazing Tempo (WON 1-2), was doubled at Fairyhouse with Rourke’s Cross (next best, WON 11-8) and trebled in his Daq Yankee with Highland Lodge (WON 8-11) at Haydock Park.
12.35 Navan (Tara Hurdle): Royal Bond winner, Zaidpour, has been forgiven his Supreme Novices failure because he needs soft ground.
No excuse here, then, as he faces Prima Vista needing the run and the 11-year-old, 12 very shortly, Powerstation.
Powerstation is as game as a pebble (why ‘pebble’; answers on a postcard please) but check out the space needed between his wins these days: 14 months, five months, 19 months.
1.05 Navan (Navan Novice Hurdle, Grade 1): Many an Irish punter already has Mount Benbulben down in his notebook as a Cheltenham festival banker.
Unless he has another piece of bad luck – he slipped up on the flat at Galway – he’ll be hot favourite for the hat-trick here. But is he value?
Ipsos Du Berlais would also be going for the hat-trick but his Thurles second over two furlongs and more beyond today’s trip was run a minute slow and cannot count against him.
Boston Bob, for the formidable Mullins-Walsh team, launched his hurdles career with an easy win over course and distance last month, but Willie fears that Mount Benbulben has more experience.
Back to that word ‘value.’ Noel Meade must think a whole lot of Ipsos Du Berlais for him to start odds on for both hurdles starts, yet he’s 9.4 in a three-horse race (Jetson has been jettisoned at 40.0).
It’s a spectacle to watch but I’d rather watch it with an old punt on at 9.4 than my Cheltenham money on at 1.78 or 2.91, which are the offers about the front two, as I write.
1.35 Navan (Christmas Cracker Handicap): This is tricky. Pull your cracker and you could whistle for your money or be wearing a funny hat.
It’s around 17-2 bar the favourite this morning but Down Under is 9lb higher than for his CD win three weeks back in a modest handicap of half this value, though he’s certainly at the right end of the weights for a fight in the mud.
They don’t want Ghareer in the market but Beckett Rock could now return to form after his first run in 14 months at Cork recently.
However, I fancy Gordon Elliott might have this one sorted: Bacher Boy, though a winner on firm, ran well enough on soft-heavy behind Zaidpour (see the Tara Hurdle) and Toner d’Oudairies is an animal tried in much better class (Graded and Listed).
I’ll have my (expensive) cake and eat it, dutching the Elliott pair but putting Down Under in my Daq Multiples.
2.05 Navan (Future Champions Bumper): All bar one of these was a winner last time out and t’other one was second. Some race!
In fact, one of the best bumpers seen for some time in Ireland, according to Bridgets Pet’s trainer, Anthony Mullins, in the trade paper.
Front-runner Rory O’Moore should make this a matter of stamina, which seems to play into the hands of the mighty impressive Naas 2m 3f scorer, Don Cossack.
Gordon Elliott thinks so much of Don Cossack that he says he won’t be running him much this season. This is the opposite way of such as Paul Nicholls, and it is interesting to see what happens to youngsters that are soft-pedalled compared with those whose gears get engaged early on in their careers.
Don Cossack’s value is going to soar, if he sticks to a low level and headlines full of hype. But, since Gigginstown owns him, I can’t see anyone making a Don offer they can’t refuse.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
NAP: Don Cossack (2.05 Navan)
NEXT BEST: Zaidpour (12.35 Navan)
OUTSIDERS: Ipsos Du Berlais (1.05 Navan) and dutch Toner d’Oudairies and Bacher Boy (1.35 Navan)
DAQ MULTIPLES: Zaidpour (12.35 Navan), Down Under (1.35 Navan), Don Cossack (2.05 Navan).
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