Eretara Capable Of Outrunning Odds At Ballinrobe

Miracle Of Medinah ran a respectable race for us on Saturday, but unfortunately he just wasn't good enough. He was given a lovely ride by Dane O'Neill, and he looked to be travelling really well as they entered the last couple of furlongs. When push came to shove the response wasn't there though, and unfortunately he couldn't hang on for a place. It looks as though he is a horse that is hard to place, as 8f seems just a shade too far, while 7f has proved to be an insufficient test. He is a horse that will need everything to drop right to get his head back in front, and he could probably do with a bit more help from the handicapper too.

Monday is not usually a day I put up a selection, but I have decided to make an exception this week. It is often said in Ireland that "if your horse can't win a race in Ballinrobe it won't win one anywhere", and Eretara is a 7yo mare that must nearly be in last chance saloon, as she remains a  maiden after 33 starts. She has been with four different yards since making her debut as a 3yo back in 2012, and not one of those trainers has managed to conjure a win out of her. I have had my eye on her since a run at Dundalk back in November 2014. I had an each way bet on her at 50/1 that day, and I was convinced she would have gone very close if she didn't clip heels and fall.

She was with the Donohue yard back then, but she is now in the hands of one of the shrewdest trainers around in David Harry Kelly. He seems to have got Eretara interested in the game again, and on the evidence of her second run for Kelly at Tipperary (12.5f yld) on her penultimate start she is capable of winning a handicap off her current mark. She was dropped out the back that day and 2f out she was still travelling well, even if she was much nearer to last than first. When Hoban got into the drive position she started to eat up the ground and she flew home for 3rd, just missing out on 2nd.

The way she finished off her race that day suggested she was crying out for a step up in trip, so I was rather surprised to see her dropped back to 11f at Killarney last time out. I was tempted to put her up on the blog that day, but I just could't see the logic of dropping her in trip after watching her last run a few times. I was even more surprised by the tactics employed by her jockey Michael Hussey, as she was right up with the pace from the outset. Unsurprisingly she folded tamely, but she gets the step up in trip that it seemed she was crying out for at Ballinrobe on Monday.

The Kelly yard is tipping along nicely at the moment and, though he hasn't been amongst the winners, most of his entries have been running well. Shane B Kelly is a jockey who is usually effective with hold up types, and his patient style could be perfect for this tricky mare. The ground is currently described as yielding and that is perfect for her on the evidence of that Tipperary run. She steps up to 1m5f, which should also be in her favour, and Kelly should be able to drop her in nicely from her draw in stall 5. She is obviously not the most reliable of mares (no win in 33 starts) so stakes should be kept small, but she looks to have a lot in her favour and, at 28/1, she is worth chancing each way in what looks an extremely weak race.

STEVOS' SELECTION: 8.00 BALLINROBE-ERETARA E/W 28/1