RUSH FOR 10.5 TO BEAT SOUTHWELL FAVOURITE: That’s Shamrock’s verdict, trying his hand at the English AW meeting at Southwell in the absence of Irish racing and Ayr being abandoned.
That’s the never-say-die spirit of the man. Trainer Ian Semple, who learned his trade with John Dunlop and John Gosden, has quit then made his comeback more times than Frank Sinatra.
Today at Southwell (3.30) he bids to maintain a 100% record in 2012, as boss of one of the few stables to get off the mark already with just the one runner in the new year.
That was at Southwell yesterday with Argentine, a horse that hadn’t been with the yard long and who seemed to improve for Semple’s handling, despite his turning eight on Sunday. Ian has one Southwell runner again today.
But Burnwynd Spirit is a different animal, only a three-year-old, and has been with Semple since the trainer returned to the ranks last summer.
After being beaten 67 lengths on an ignominious debut at Musselburgh, and then finishing stone last twice more out of his next three starts, ‘Burny’ has also gradually found his feet.
Without a penny on him (at 20-1 and 16-1), he has been placed in his last two starts, within four lengths of the winner at Wolverhampton and less than two lengths behind in a Southwell nursery over the minimum.
He’ll be suited to today’s step up a furlong; he’s dropped a pound, and he is handy in stall two. And there’s more.
’Burny’ is better off now with the runner-up in that Southwell nursery, today’s favourite Russian Bullet, yet he is offered at 10.5 on Betdaq at time of writing. That has me rush’n in and I’m happy to bite the bullet at that value price, if things don’t work out.
Ingleby Arch (12.25) can take his course record to 10: he’s put back-to-back wins together twice before in 13 successes from an 82-race career, with his AW form near on 50% win and place.
On The Cusp (1.55) is on the way to ‘doing an Ingleby Arch’: he has already scored four CD wins, six all told in 2011, and is likely to have too many guns for Minortransgression despite revised weights since they were one-two a week ago.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
NAP: Ingleby Arch (12.25 Southwell)
NEXT BEST: On The Cusp (1.55 Southwell)
OUTSIDER: Burnwynd Spirit (3.30 Southwell)
DAQ TRIO: Ingleby Arch (12.25 Southwell), On The Cusp (1.55 Southwell) and Burnwynd Spirit (3.30 Southwell)
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