It is Kerry National Day at Listowel and Gordon Elliot saddles four of the 18-runner field as he bids to win the race for the third time in the last six years. There was drizzle at the track on Tuesday which was much needed and the ground is likely to be yielding for the feature race of the meeting.
The big gamble of the race in recent days has been Elliot’s Conflated who was given a favourable mention by the trainer when discussing his entries last week. The 7-y-o will appreciate the return to a left-hand track having jumped out to his left in a Fairyhouse Grade 1 at 2m 4f back in the spring. He has had a recent pipe-opener on the level, but he is not yet proven over three miles and he is now short enough in the market given this is such a competitive event.
My two against the field are Farclas (4.25) and Snow Falcon with preference for the former who was last seen finishing fifth in the Grand National back in the spring. A return to Aintree next spring is likely to be on the agenda for the grey and the lack of a recent run is a slight cause for concern. Gigginstown’s number one jockey Jack Kennedy has chosen Conflated over the selection, but talented conditional Jordan Gainford takes off a valuable 5lbs on the each way recommendation who is 7s with Boylesports 5 places. .
Snow Falcon – 33/1 – won the corresponding race three years ago from a 7lbs higher mark and any significant rain would be a plus – although the forecast is for a dry day.
The 4-y-old Farout (2.45) carries 10lbs worth of penalties for his two wins on good ground at Cork and Galway this summer, but he can land the hat-trick under conditions he obviously thrives on. Willie Mullins has saddled the winner of this corresponding race three times in the last six years and Farout can give weight and a beating to his older rivals. The selections is Evens with MansionBet.
I would like to see Magic Daze (3.55) settle better in her races, but she is a talented mare who can make a winning chase debut for Henry de Bromhead and Darragh O’Keefe who takes over in the saddle in the continued absence of Rachel Blackmore. The mare is a winner between the flags and finished runner up in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival back in March.
The stable have not exactly been firing in the winners of late but I will be disappointed if Magic Daze is not ready for her reappearance although do note she was pulled out of a race at Galway earlier in the month when she was reported to be coughing.
There is a valuable claiming handicap at Goodwood, and I would have been very sweet on the chance of Imrahor (1.45) were it not for his coffin box draw in stall ten – of ten. The selection – 3s with Boylesports – is likely to be taken forward by Oisin Murphy and he may be able to get across to the lead as there is no confirmed frontrunner in the field, but I would still have preferred a lower draw. He ran a race full of promise when third at Newbury coming back from a 279-day break and Hugo Palmer has given him over four weeks to get over those exertions.
Nick Alexander saddles six runners at Perth and it would be no surprise to see Silk Or Scarlet land the finale the second division of the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle. The ground was given as soft – good to soft in places – on Tuesday morning but there is no further rain forecast and marginal preference is for Misscarlett (5.55).
The ew selection – 6/1 – finished runner up on the flat at Newcastle last time over two miles having looked a non stayer over three miles at Southwell over jumps previously. The mare is 7lbs higher than when scoring over this trip at Uttoxeter, but Joe Williamson takes off a valuable 5lbs. It might be worth noting that Brian Hughes was in the saddle at the Staffordshire track, and he rides She’s A Rocca for Nicky Richards this afternoon. A market move would be worth noting.
