The less said about Saturday the better. Spicy Marg finished third but due to a non-runner, third wasn’t good enough for a place. Aqua Bear shortened into 12s from 66s and Squealer was backed into 12s too but neither horse raised a gallop.
To be fair to Fregada, she ran a decent race and she was
only 2l off a place in sixth and Mgheera wasn’t too far off a place either and
the only positive was that Suspended Sentence was a non-runner so we ‘only’ had
six losers.
On Sunday the Irish 1000 Guineas is the feature, confidence
has taken a battering but hopefully we do better.
2.15 – Marble Hill Stakes (Group 3)
Some decent juveniles have won this over the years,
including the likes of Caravaggio, Siskin, Blackbeard and Arizona Blaze. This
year Great Barrier Reef is a prohibitive odds on fav for Ballydoyle, fresh from
a treble here yesterday. By No Nay Never, he was very impressive when winning
easily on debut over C&D. The ground was soft that day and the form hasn’t
worked out but his pedigree suggests that he’ll be even better on faster ground
and it would be no surprise were he to hack up.
His odds reflect his chance though and at a double figure
price, I’ll side with Robson De Aguiar’s son of Persian Force, Immortal Guard.
Very well backed on debut over C&D (good) three weeks ago, he overcame a
slightly tardy start to get off the mark at the first attempt and score by half
a length.
The third went close in another maiden next time out, the
fifth hosed up at Cork this earlier week and after the race, his trainer
suggested he would improve plenty for whatever he did first time out. De
Aguiar’s other runner, Edward Thatch looks a useful sort too but at odds of 14/1,
I’ll take a chance on Immortal Guard e/w.
2026 Curragh Sunday Tip: Immortal Guard e/w @ 14/1
2.45 – Spring Fillies’ Handicap (100 = 9st 12lb)
Usually I avoid handicap debutants but in this 3yo race it
might be worth making an exception. Down based trainer Natalia Lupini’s horses
are often underrated and she has her string in excellent form right now. Zia
Zabel went mightily close to springing a surprise in a G3 here yesterday and in
the same silks, Goomah could go well here.
By Sioux Nation, this filly showed glimmers of promise in a
couple of 7f Dundalk maidens at the backend of last season. The money came for
her on her seasonal return in a 7f Leopardstown maiden (good) and she was
beaten just 0.75l in third, just tiring in the closing stages.
That probably wasn’t the strongest of maidens but it was a
decent effort and you’d imagine she’ll improve plenty for the run. By Sioux
Nation, the step up to a mile raises questions but she’s a half to a 1m5f
winner, her dam won over a mile and she is a half to a 1m5f G3 winner so there
is a good chance she’ll stay 1m on breeding.
Wayne Lordan (25/182 with 44 top 4s for the yard) keeps the
faith and on the form of her second run at Dundalk, an opening mark of 77 could
well be workable. At odds of 22/1, Goomah is the each way selection.
2026 Curragh Sunday Tip: Goomah e/w @ 22/1 (4 places)
3.20 – Lanwades Stud Stakes (Group 2)
I put Carolina Jetstream up for a Listed race at Naas last
week but she was withdrawn on account of good ground. Given that my angle
for tipping her was her excellent run in a maiden here on good ground, her only
previous turf run on that kind of surface, it was a bit of a headscratcher.
Another filly that long time followers will be familiar with
is Hey Boo. Last year, she was my fancy for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket but
she never landed a blow, finishing just over 5l behind the winner Desert Flower
in eighth. On her next start, she was bitterly disappointing at Sandown but the
soft ground likely didn’t suit the daughter of Wootton Bassett’s sire, Iffraaj.
Jack Channon’s filly got back on track on her final run of
2025 when finishing a close second in a Listed heat back at Newmarket (1m,
gd-fm), beaten 0.75l behind Francophone, who re-opposes here. She goes well
fresh and she could turn the tables, but I just can’t get away from Carolina
Jetstream.
Apart from the good ground angle, she just missed out on
black type at Dundalk last November when a 1.75l fourth and a neck in front of
her was Jancis, a 3/1 shot here. De Aguiar and Amo also run California Dreamer
here, and she is preferred by retained rider David Egan but Donagh O’Connor is
2/2 on Carolina Jetstream so maybe, he was given the ride again for that
reason.
I’ll be having a small bet on Hey Boo too at 22s but I have
to stick to my guns and tip Carolina Jetstream e/w for small stakes again. Odds
of 80/1 are just too tempting to resist.
2026 Curragh Sunday Tip: Carolina Jetstream e/w @ 80/1 (4
places)
4.30 – Irish 1000 Guineas (Group 1)
Nothing really appealed at a price in the previous race so
we’ll move onto the main event. Due to time constraints, I’ll have to be brief.
The one I’ve backed is Magny Cours. A
daughter of Awtaad, she produced the best run of her 2yo career on her last
start of 2025 and she improved again on her seasonal return at Leopardstown.
In that comeback race she was dropped out early, produced
wide and stayed on really nicely to take a 1.25l second behind True Love, who
is odds on here. Magny Cours should not be 50s and with the step up to 1m almost
certain to suit on breeding, she is the each way selection.
2026 Curragh Sunday Tip: Magny Cours e/w @ 50/1
No comments:
Post a Comment