TAKAR MAKES IT 5 NAPS-IN-A-ROW: After building up a sequence of four naps in-a-row Shamrock needed a stepping stone to get through yesterday and took the ultra-safe option with Takar WON 1/7. As ever better prices were available on BETDAQ
Takar won well enough at the Curragh yesterday which is what I wanted – a crack at making it six consecutive naps on an altogether better days racing at the Curragh and Tipperary.
Feature race is of course the Darley Irish Oaks at 3.20. Aidan O’Brien saddles three of the seven runners with Joseph onboard 20/1 Epsom Oaks winner Was. The option must be to look elsewhere today as Was is unproven on this ground – it was good, good to firm in places when she won at Epsom, but I’m not really interested in laying her at 5.3. The BETDAQ market has already built in the ground factor in my opinion which means there is no edge to be gained on a lay. Unproven doesn’t mean she won’t handle the ground and I’m not interested in laying an Epsom Oaks winner at those kind of prices.
John Gosden couldn’t have gone closer in the King George with Nathaniel who ran a belter again yesterday and saddles Great Heavens who fully deserves her place at the Group 1 table after her runaway success in the Lancashire Oaks (Group 2) at Haydock. That was on soft ground, and she won her maiden in heavy ground so the ticks are there in the going box.
Princess Highway sauntered to a six length success over Epsom Oaks third The Fugue in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot (good to soft). A reproduction of that effort on this ground would see her win easily and she is still improving.
It’s hard – but when in doubt I usually turn to the ground as the deciding factor and on that basis Great Heavens is the narrow preference.
Dibayani made a hugely impressive debut over course and distance three weeks ago when a head second to The United States. He was only caught close home by an O’Brien horse thought to be above average. It was a good effort on ground similar to today and the debutants will have to be very smart indeed to beat him today. 1.72 on BETDAQ, at the time of writing, looks fair enough.
Caponata (progressive, unbeaten in two) and Cristoforo Colombo (drops to Group 3 after Group 2 second) are other nap candidates but I’ll stick with Dibayani and at least we’ll know our fate early. I’m throwing them all in an acca, just in case they all go in !
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
NAP: Dibayani (1.40 Curragh)
NEXT BEST: Great Heavens (3.20 Curragh)
ACCA: Above two plus Caponata (2.10 Curragh) and Cristoforo Colombo (2.45 Curragh). Paying 13.41 on BETDAQ MULTIPLES at time of writing
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