Some decent action to get stuck into at the Curragh today and our Irish form guru Tony Keenan has a couple of each-way recommendations.
Irish racing tips: Wednesday June 5
0.5pts e.w. Nikki Swango in 6.25 Curragh at 9/1 (Sky Bet 1/5 1,2,3,4)
0.5pts e.w. Blanc De Noir in 8.00 Curragh at 7/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook
It is not a typical midweek card at the Curragh this evening, as there is not one but two premier handicaps, though in truth neither is up to the typical standard of the grade with just 11 runners engaged in each race.
A few trainers have been grumbling about the funding levels for some of these races and seem to be voicing their views with their declarations, and they might have a point too judging on how they fit in with the overall prizemoney picture.
The Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Handicap (7.00) lacks depth and those towards the head of the market, Reina Del Mar and Saturn, hold strong claims, though the former might prefer slower ground judged on her English form.
Saturn, on the other hand, thrives on a fast surface, and while stepping up half a mile in trip is marked jump, he found 10 furlongs too sharp last time and should be more comfortable at this distance.
The Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Premier Handicap at 6.25 seems more open with NIKKI SWANGO looking overpriced, the drop to five furlongs likely to suit with how she travels.
She has had two previous goes at the minimum trip, the first coming on her second career start when returning from a break at Naas last June, doing best of those drawn high to finish fourth in a race dominated by the low stalls, and the form worked out well subsequently.
The winner won the Anglesey on her next start while the third ended the season rated 96, the fifth reaching a rating of 88 herself, enough to suggest that Nikki Swango might be reasonably treated off 79.
Her other start over five furlongs came on her final start as a juvenile but she seemed over the top at the time, but in between those starts she ran with credit, including when second to Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up A Lilac Rolla at Cork.
She returned as a three-year-old in another premier handicap at Naas over six furlongs, but she again travelled like shorter would suit, not getting a clear run up the near side but making a good move off the favoured rail, before flattening out late to finish fifth.
That race has not worked out all that well since, but the selection was conceding fitness to the winner and runner-up, both of whom were coming from a strong Curragh maiden, while her yard are in better form now than they were at the time of that run.
On the rest of the card, Hotazhell and Mother Nature both look solid favourites for their respective maidens while Beatrix Power may be able to reverse previous course form with Ojw Legacy in in the Manguard Maiden at 7:30 though Four Blondes also looks good enough to win a maiden at some point in that race.
In the penultimate race, the Sky Bet Acca Freeze Handicap at 8.00, BLANC DE NOIR, might also be worth a bet.
He won this race last year as a three-year-old when trained by Jessica Harrington, looking well-suited by a straight track and a big field, but was off for the second half of 2023 after being acquired for 40,000 guineas by Johnny Murtagh last July.
His initial runs this year might well have been needed considering that absence, but he has twice shaped well in the 0-90 grade and now takes a marked class drop into what is a 0-73, himself the top weight.
The five furlongs he raced over at Navan last month looked much too sharp, but he kept on well late before not being seen to best effect at this track on the Friday of Guineas weekend, held up on a day when few horses were coming from off the pace.
He finished seventh in the end, the first four in the race filling those positions throughout but was only beaten two lengths and nothing was finishing better, his final three furlongs the fastest in the race per the Timeform sectional database.
Blanc De Noir will need both luck in running and a decent pace to run at, but the latter seems likely looking at the shape of the race, and he deserves to be at the head of the betting.
Preview published at 0850 BST on 05/06/24
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