SIX NAPS UP OUT OF EIGHT: Shamrock landed a 9-1 double in his yankee attempt yesterday through Jericho (WON 5-1) and Cool Hand Luke (WON 4-6), his sixth winning nap from the last eight.
The punter’s race is coming. No racing in Ireland today – in fact, no jumpers anywhere on Betdaq – but Sunday’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown is to savour.
Not for nothing is it called ‘gold’ and, for a change, the gold is for the punter: three of the last four have been won by hot favourites and there has been no winner bigger than 11-2, going back to the last century.
But a word of warning: though the money was well placed on the day, the winner should then be dropped from your horses to follow.
Successful last year, Kempes lost his way after that, and the previous scorer, Joncol, failed in his next three starts, including in the same race, until finally coming good again last November.
It took 2009 winner Neptune Collonges a year to get back on target; 2008 winner The Listener took 20 months; and, though, in 2006, Beef Or Salmon made it back-to-back Hennessys, he never troubled the judge again.
Today, I’m obliged to try to bag a winner at Kempton Park, and I see that 11 of the 21 declared for the last two handicaps are Irish-breds.
I fancy distance winner three times Clear Ice (5.30) to bounce back for Gay Kelleway, her only runner of the day when she’s just struck some form.
Irish-born Darren Egan has only to sit on the three times CD winner April Fool and press the button for the front-runner (3.55) to spank the unreliable Satwa Laird.
Did I say ‘only’? Rather him than me on a freezing-cold night near a sewage plant. Oh, for the sweet grass summer of Irish racing.
SHAMROCK’S BETS
NAP: April Fool (3.55 Kempton)
EACH-WAY: Clear Ice (5.30 Kempton)
DAQ DOUBLE: the above two
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