Bonnet Can Bounce Back On Return To Cork

I was deeply frustrated by the run of Dressdnblack on Thursday and I couldn’t bring myself to look at the racecards for Friday I was so disgusted. After breaking well somehow she got shuffled back through the field, and as they turned for home she had only a couple behind. Coen had to switch her widest of all to make her challenge and she flew home, but by then the race was over and she just missed out on place money in 5th. With a clearer passage she is capable of going very close kept to the same trip and ground next time.
 

Lace Bonnet is 20lb better off in the weights with Song Of The Sky.

Lace Bonnet ran a huge race for us a few weeks ago on her handicap debut at Cork (10f hvy) but she was bitterly disappointing upped in trip at Limerick (12f hvy) when sent off at a short price last time. She was only 2.5L behind Song Of The Sky off 54 here over 10f and she was conceding 9lb to that rival. Lace Bonnet was given a 2lb rise for that run, but even so with Scott McCullough’s claim she will be getting 11lb from Song Of The Moon here, a massive 20lb swing in the weights.

The form of that run over today’s course and distance looks strong and it has been franked not only by Song Of The Sky, but also by the 3rd home Scealai Aonair, a filly that went on to score by 3L at Clonmel earlier this week off a pound higher than she was at Cork. Even the 6th home, Torthai An Ghra (14L behind Lace Bonnet) ran a cracker next time when 2nd in a claimer at Clonmel.

Obviously, Lace Bonnet must be forgiven a below par effort last time but that run came just 6 days after her excellent handicap debut and that, combined with the step up in trip, are valid excuses for how she performed. If you put a line through that Limerick run she would be coming here a fancied filly and with Scott McCullough’s 10lb claim she is effectively running off a 6lb lower mark here.

Now it could transpire that Mastermind is chucked in off his rating, and if he replicates the form he has showed in some smart hurdle races he could be hard to beat. The big worry for him has to be this trip and it might just prove to be a bit sharp for him. However, Lace Bonnet has already proven that she can be competitive off this mark over this distance, on this ground and at this track, and I don’t think she should be anywhere near as big as 16/1. She is Saturday’s each way selection.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: 3.40 CORK-LACE BONNET E/W @ 16/1