Tony Keenan is back with a look ahead to the action at Down Royal this afternoon – he’s got one recommended bet.
Irish racing has kept a respectful distance from Royal Ascot this week with no clashing fixtures, but that changes today with a pair of afternoon meetings at Down Royal and Limerick, which could be an annoying interruption or a welcome distraction depending on your perspective.
The feature up north is the BoyleSports Ulster Derby at 3:55 run over the guts of a mile and five furlongs, a trip only one of the eight runners has even come close to trying, and some of the sires in the race – Invincible Spirit, Oasis Dream, Iffraaj and Kodiac – suggest this trip could be beyond them.
Favourite Psalm is more bred for the job than most, being by Sea The Stars, though his dam side is less convincing in that regard, and his form looks solid; he ran into the now 102 rated Kinesiology at Cork while he is off 90 here. That said, the cheekpieces looked as if they were needed then as he seemed to wait in front.
BARNSO might be more interesting at the prices. He finished down the field on seasonal return at Naas, but it was the same on debut last year and it now looks as if the mile trip was too sharp. Much better was to come up in trip over a well-run 10 furlongs at Fairyhouse last month when he did well to win as plenty went against him in the race.
Having had the widest trip of all, he travelled well into the straight but then met trouble, conceding first run to the second but was still able to win with a bit in hand. That second was Going Remote who reopposes today, and he has since boosted the form by filling the same position in a premier handicap, but Barnso now meets him on five pounds better terms than Fairyhouse.
The trip is an unknown for Barnso, but he is not on his own in regard, while his best effort to date came over the longest distance he has faced and there are jumpers in his dam’s family.
The other big race at Down Royal, the BoyleSports Irish EBF Ulster Oaks at 3:15, is well-endowed for the grade, a €31,500 prize for what is essentially a 0-87, and should probably boil down to the progressive trio of three-year-old fillies.
In the earlier Weatherbys Digital Solutions Handicap (2:40), Not Just Any Eagle looks a solid one, in good form this season like many of his yard, yet to be out of the three in four starts.
He shaped better than the form last time at Gowran in a higher grade than this. That race was dominated by two that raced up with pace whereas he did best of the hold-up horses to finish third, stopped in his run in the straight but finishing better than anything, his last furlong the fastest in the race per Course Track sectionals.
That race was a 0-85 that worked out well, the winner winning two of her next three starts and among the favourites for the Ulster Derby, whereas today’s race represents a marked drop in class into a 47-70.
Down at Limerick, the standout race is the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Martin Molony Stakes at 4:05 where Harbour Wind is a runner to watch, if not for today then certainly for the rest of the season.
He quickly made up into a smart type as a three-year-old and the form of his final start when runner-up in France is very strong; the winner won the Prix Royal-Oak by seven and a half lengths on his next start while the fourth has won both the good French staying races this season.
If anything, Harbour Win deserved to finish closer, coming from a long way back to close down the prominently ridden winner, and his trainer does well with this type of horse, though today’s trip is on the sharp side, and he is without the cheekpieces he wore for much of last year.
Preview posted at 0916 BST on 22/06/24
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