SOMEHOW THE NAP WON: SHAMROCK’s NAP and only bet on Wednesday won the Cheshire Oaks and landed a gamble but it was far from easy.
Somehow couldn’t have been better named.
It was a case of somehow she won the Cheshire Oaks on the opening day of Chester despite hitting nearly 5/1 in running on BETDAQ.
That’s quite a swing given she was sent off at 8/15 – apologies for the price but she was backed as if defeat was out of the question and so it proved – in the end.
Ryan Moore certainly earned his riding fee as the filly seemed to take an absolute age to wind up. She looked far from the likely winner with half a mile to go when she was being shoved along and only had one rival behind.
O’Brien told Racing UK after the race: “Ryan was very happy with her. She’s just sleepy. No matter what she works with, if it’s a fast horse or a slow horse, she does the same thing and she will have learnt a lot. She’s got a beautiful pedigree and I think she’s in the Oaks shortlist. We knew she was one that had the most to learn and we didn’t have long to teach her, so we thought this was the place to try and teach her.
O’Brien will no doubt be hoping for a slightly smoother victory from his big Derby hope US Army Ranger in the Chester Vase today. This one has long been a huge talking horse despite being unraced as a two-year-old. He is bidding to go the same route as Ruler Of The World who won this in 2013 before going on to score at Epsom.
O’Brien said: “He is only a baby and has always been a very laid back horse at home. He will have to learn a lot at Chester in a short space of time. He only won a soft maiden on very bad ground at the Curragh going a snail’s pace. He is going to be racing around those bends at Chester which will be much quicker. At least we will see how he handles a turning track.”
O’Brien has an exceptional record in this race and US Army Ranger can give him his fourth successive win.
SHAMROCK’S BETS:
NAP: US Army Ranger (3.10 Chester)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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