Browsing Category: "Racing Roundup"
My first post in my new home and I thought I’d take a look at French racing for the first time. There’s no flat racing in France today, at least not on the PMU tracks but trotting from Vincennes featuring the valuable Prix de Paris over the marathon distance of 4125 metres at 14.45 CET, and N.H. racing from Pau (4 hurdles races, 3 steeplechases and one cross-country). If anybody has an interest in French racing please let me know and I’ll do a regular feature.
Easily the best racing today comes at the Irish N.H. fixture at Navan, featuring three Grade Two races with several Irish hopes for Cheltenham taking part. The 2 mile novice chase at 15.10 could go to Edward O´Grady´s Clopf (Andrew McNamara), who did not quite come up to expectations as a hurdler, but could still make the grade over fences. Willie Mullins´ Scotsirish (Ruby Walsh), who fell last time out, looks the danger. With Noel Meade´s stable still out of form, one must be cautious about the chances of German-bred Aitmatov in the Boyle Hurdle over 2 miles 5 furlongs at 15.40. On his best form he would win this, but under the circumstances the Bowe family´s tough Earth Magic (Tom Doyle), who has won 3 of his last 4 races and is still improving, might be preferred.
The other novice chase, this time over 3 miles at 17.10, looks booked for Pomme Tiepy (Mullins/ Walsh), a most impressive winner of all her 3 starts in Ireland. She should confirm her latest Leopardstown form with runner-up Kilcrea Castle (Peter Doyle/ Davy Russell) on 3 lbs worse terms.
The racing they offer is of very poor quality and once again there are some very small fields, with only 4 contesting Woloverthampton´s top race, a class 4 handicap for 3-y-o´s over 9 furlongs at 16.30 CET. Mark Johnstion saddles 2 runners, Piermarine (Deam McKeown), coming off a break, and Leamington (Greg Fairley), runner-up the last twice, but top-weight Martyr (Richard Hannon/ Haddon Frost) and last time-out winner Wiseman´s Diamond (Kevin Ryan/ Jamie Spencer) are also dangerous. Spencer, riding for the first time in 2008, can score a double here with James Fanshawe´s Taken in the 3-y-o maiden at 16.00, and Mark Wallace´s Fresh Mint, winner of 3 of her last 4 races, in the fillies´1 1/2 mile handicap at 17.00.
