Irish Flat Season 2011

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The 1000 Guineas trial at Leop was a bit of a farce imo. If the winner was a real contender for Newmamrket she would have been running in Navy Blue. That was her Guineas . Combine that with the butchery that went on back in the field and form is very dubious indeed.

Knock Stars got cut up twice and others where penned in by the eventual second . However I did notice a couple running on really well at the end but as I wasn't able to make the meeting and with the bad TV pic that day due to the light I'm having trouble identifying them. One I think was Katla and another possibly Redskin. Anyone have any overview on the race ?
 
My impression of the race was that O'Brien gave Empowering a pretty astute ride, setting a pretty moderate gallop (certainly in comparison with the 7f handicap on the same card). You may well be right about that effectively being her Guineas given the weight of money for her.

It's hard to know what to make of the form but History Note deserves to be marked up as she came from a good bit further back than ideal and was keeping on nicely at the finish. Might possibly be of interest in the Irish Guineas. Hurricane Havoc almost certainly isn't a Group 1 filly, though I do think she'll be seen to far better effect over a stiff mile and/or when she is stepped up to 10f.
 
I'd be surprised if Empowering doesn't have a colour change between now and the Guineas if she does go. It wouldn't be the first who started in orange and blue before being swapped to navy when showing some promise.
 
True but equally I've seen them get one of their own out ready early for thie meeting to get the Black type. I think it was a bad race and if she goes for the Guineas it won't be in O'Brien or any Coolmore colours.
 
Three to keep on eye on tonight in Dundalk -

In the conditions race 18:30 at Dundalk Knock Stars has weights in her favour, form on the track and you can forget her run last weekend as she got kicked all over the place in what was a rough race in behind. Oddschecker were showing her at 9/2 with B365 but were only 3/1 by the time I had logged in :mad::mad: but there is some 4/1 available.

Liberty Island 19:00 has form around the track, is very consistent and has good early season form so I believe is worth a few quid ew at a standout 10/1 Boylesports.

The best till last Dahindar 20:00 - reunited with Padraig Beggy, drawn perfectly in what looks a slightly weaker race than those he has being running in. Could have a serious sequence of wins built up but for the Beast of Dundalk that is Banna Boirche. Early 7/1 was monster but still generally available at 6's.
 
I like Solent Ridge in the same race. Although I was initially put off that Murtagh wasn't on board, i'm thinking I don't think he could do 8-5. With the 10lb claim and a decent draw i'd imagine he should be in with a decent ew chance at least.
 
How game is Lolly For Dolly- a credit to her sire.I had her as a very solid each way bet last night but changed my mind close to the off.Two furlongs out -I was thinking unplaced-a furlong out she still wasn't going to win.
Time to walk away.
 
ST NICK decidedly flat - 3rd place to a 33-1 shot, although the winner is a genuine, tough horse. One-paced and nothing more at the end. Dave Duggan making a point that MONTJEUs tend to hold their heads high, but even so, and I don't know if SNA has always held his up throughout his races, you'd expect to see him flatten out a bit for the finish. There may be 'reasons' why he ran flat, but that was not at all - sadly - inspiring.
 
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Yes, agree - super-looking and travelled in a most professional manner. I liked the incredibly fast finish of the Aga's horse, ZANUGHAN. Came a zinging third when well back and I reckon he will be another top performer when not given so much to do at the end.
 
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I would like to be against Zanughan next time out -I thought he lacked tactical pace and even though his finish was visually impressive the two horses he passed close home were prominent from a long way out.
The winner was different gravy.
 
What about Glor na Mara today?? Is he an absolute Pig or should he be given another chance on account of the ground. Suspected the 5/4 was too good to be true - never checked the going as we had no rain here. Ploughed into him and went away for the day with the family only to see the ground changed to soft and him drift to almost 3/1 on the exchanges.. FFS
Finding it increasingly difficult to spend as much time studying form due to work and family committments and as a result am throwing back a lot of the very decent gains made punting this year. Didn't get to see any racing today again so gave made the decision to have three bets for the rest of this month on horses I have been waiting for and review the position in May, by then hopefully the flat season will have bedded down into some kind of rythym.
 
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That's his sixth defeat at The Curragh-a maiden in a listed race-was some lay at odds on.I picked out 4 bets last night -a lay of GNM ,each ways on Lolly For Dolly and Unaccompanied and a straight win on Samain.
As a result of going to bed at about 630 on Saturday morning I was below par this morning,the price on GNM was gone,I wouldn't pick up the phone for Lolly and after that it wasn't worth getting involved.
 
I thought the Ballydoyle reaction to Sing Softlys win spoke volumes. O'Brien was even in the middle of the interview when he became preoccupied with the call or text coming through and forgot what he was doing i.e. on TV. There Newmarket 1000 Guineas horse no doubt.
 
Had the kids all day Saturday as wife was away - missed Canaly at 8/1 a young horse I think a lot of and closely related to Hi Big Man of whom big things are expected so completely sickened! A friend of mine called to remind me to back him but was up the Walls in Monkey Maze and said Id ring him back but never got round to it. Also missed Last Installment today as I spent an hour from 6 to 7 this am with two kids climbing all over me trying to read the Irish Field concentrating on three races at the Curragh. There is nothing worse in punting than missing on of "yours" winning at a decent price!!!
 
Your description of your day has all the makings of a very funny sketch, OTB! I'm trying to envisage you rummaging frantically for your mobi while not losing your grip 50' up the walls, the kids running wild in the background and your wife telling friends, "Oh, they'll just be settling down for their tea now".
 
OTB -2 or 3 years ago I had laid a horse for a monkey in a Saturday night race at Wolverhampton -with the race in the melting pot my daughter reappeared demanding to know why I had switched off her programme.When the Hannon hotpot was chinned I was able to smile gently and give her the remote control.
 
On The Bridle said:
Had the kids all day Saturday as wife was away - missed Canaly at 8/1 a young horse I think a lot of and closely related to Hi Big Man of whom big things are expected so completely sickened! A friend of mine called to remind me to back him but was up the Walls in Monkey Maze and said Id ring him back but never got round to it. Also missed Last Installment today as I spent an hour from 6 to 7 this am with two kids climbing all over me trying to read the Irish Field concentrating on three races at the Curragh. There is nothing worse in punting than missing on of "yours" winning at a decent price!!!
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We hear you OTB..It's cruel trying to sneak a peak at the paper/laptop when the kids are at full speed. Heartbreaking to "miss" a winner, and the wife (bless her:lol:) never seems to understand:whistle:
 
My two boys refuse to watch a flat race. The 3yo has even copped on that strarting stalls = no jumping. "Switch it off Dada, I don't like it."

I can only assume that interest in bumpers will come. Otherwise I don't know what we'll talk about when they visit me in the nursing home.
 
Bar the Bull said:
My two boys refuse to watch a flat race. The 3yo has even copped on that strarting stalls = no jumping. "Switch it off Dada, I don't like it."

I can only assume that interest in bumpers will come. Otherwise I don't know what we'll talk about when they visit me in the nursing home.
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I know its wrong to say it, but its every mans nightmare that his son wont have an interest in bumpers....What would you tell your friends?
 
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