Champions’ Weekend Day 2 Tips

We didn’t fare too badly on opening day of Champions’ Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday with a couple of winners. Clique travelled like the best horse in the race in the opener but he found nil and perhaps he will appreciate better ground. Nelson did the business for us in fine style in the next, advised at 15/2 and returning at 11/2. Daybreak Boy was far from disgraced in the 13f handicap, finishing 7th of 20 and he was only 1.5L behind the winner and 0.75L off a place.

It was hard work for Eziyra in the next but she got the job done and returned at 9/10 (advised at 11/8). Intricately and Custom Cut were desperately disappointing and unfortunately the ground was a bit too lively for Zhukova. Geological got boxed in on the inside in the last and Holy Cat was simply never at the races. It was a disappointing finish to the day after a promising start but at least Nelson did the business. Hopefully we can find another winner or two at the Curragh and you can find out my fancies below.

David O'Meara had a nice winner at Leopardstown.

RACE 1

A nice easy start to proceedings on Day 1 with a 23 runner 6f handicap. The one I like at a nice each way price is the David O’Meara trained 4yo son of Fast Company, Al Qahwa. O’Meara landed a nice pot with Suedois at Leopardstown on Saturday and the ground has come right for Al Qahwa at the Curragh. He is best with an ease in the ground and it is currently yielding to soft at the Kildare track.

This fella has run poorly on his last couple of starts at Goodwood and Ripon but he is likely to have been trained with this race in mind and he ran a cracker in a Group 3 on his only previous run at The Curragh. He is racing off a mark of 97, just 3lb higher than the rating off which he scored at York back in May (6f sft) and he was only beaten 2L off 97 there in July. A high draw is preferable in these races at The Curragh and from a decent starting position in Stall 18 I think Al Qahwa is well worth backing each way at odds of 16/1.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: AL QAHWA E/W @ 16/1

RACE 2

Nine fillies and mares go to post for the 10f Group 2 Blandford Stakes and one that could run well at a half decent price is Shamreen for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen. This relatively lightly raced 4yo daughter of Dubawi scored in this race last year and she showed she was back to her best with a commanding win in first time blinkers in a Group 3 here last month (10f yld/sft).

The ground will be identical for her here and the blinkers have been discarded by Mr Weld. After her win here last time he posited that a crack at a Group 1 could be on the cards for her and that suggests that he thinks this filly has improved. However, he has decided to send her out to defend her crown in this race and though it looks a stronger renewal I can see Shamreen making a bold bid at odds of 9/1.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: SHAMREEN E/W @ 9/1

race 3

The Group 2 Flying Five stakes sees a field of 12 sprinters go to post and this race revolves around Caravaggio. It is hard to believe this fella is as big as 6/4 for a Group 2 but he has been bitterly disappointing on his last couple of starts and it remains to be seen if he can get back to his sparkling best. If he returns to the level of his spectacular Royal Ascot win he will undoubtedly be hard to beat but there are a lot of risks involved in backing him and at a bigger price I think Gorane could go well.

This 3yo daughter of Dream Ahead seemed to relish the soft ground last time when scoring in a Listed heat at Tipperary and she had Ardhoomey a length behind. That rival is 3lb better off with her here but Gorane wasn’t stopping at Tipperary and I think she can uphold the form. Declan McDonagh abandons ship and rides Caspian Prince instead but he is best on better ground than they will get here. I think 25/1 is too big about this filly and at that price she has to be worth chancing for small stakes each way.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: GORANE E/W @ 25/1

RACE 4, RACE 5 AND RACE 6

I have covered these races for Mybettingbonus and you can check what I fancy by clicking here.

RACE 7

30 2yos go to post in this Sales race and a case can be made for quite a few of them. Brendan Duke is a trainer I have a lot of time for and he has been bullish about the quality of his 2yo crop this season. Warm The Voice showed that he wasn’t talking rubbish and in The Broghie Man he looks to have another good one. His sire Cityscape handled cut in the ground and his dam is by Dutch Art so hopefully the underfoot conditions pose no problems. He has a nice draw in stall 21, he races off a low weight and with Kevin Manning in the plate a big run could be forthcoming at 11/1.

With such a big field it makes sense to have a saver on one at a huge price and perhaps Optimum Time can outrun his odds for Eve Johnson Houghton and Charles Bishop. This son of Manduro won on debut in taking fashion on easy ground at Windsor but he has struggled on faster ground the last twice. The return to softer ground could spark him back to life, he is well drawn in stall 25 and at odds of 33/1 he is worth backing each way for small stakes.

STEVOS’ SELECTIONS: THE BROGHIE MAN E/W @ 11/1 OPTIMUM TIME E/W @ 33/1

David Egan is great value for his 3lb claim.

 RACE 8

A tricky looking handicap to finish up with and a case can be made for quite a few of the 18 runner field. I tipped up First Flight at huge odds at York last time and with a kinder passage I think he would have gone very close. He got trapped out wide, didn’t enjoy the clearest of runs but he still stayed on nicely to grab 6th, 3.5L behind the winner and less than a length off a place.

The ground will admittedly be very different at The Curragh but this son of Invincible Spirit has run well on all three occasions that he has encountered soft ground, including when 2nd behind Air Pilot at Newbury off a mark of 96. David Egan’s claim means he is effectively 3lb lower here and with trip and ground to suit hopefully First Flight can reward each way support at odds of 20/1.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: FIRST FLIGHT E/W @ 20/1