Flat Racing Sunday 22nd April 2012 (Curragh)

[robertob]

4.50 Curragh: Sharalam @ 5/1 Paddy Power + Alazan 9/1 Paddy Power Quite an interesting Handicap and I like more than one horse here, though the most interesting runner is obviously Sharalam. He ended his 2yo season with two starts, the last one with a promising 3rd place to recent Irish Lincolnshire winner Sharestan. It's the only start on turf for Sharalam yet but he acted that day very well on the softish ground and therefore he won't mind the ground conditions tomorrow. His performance in that race was eye-catching anyway as he ran through the whole field, stayed on very well only hands and heels ridden and wasn't far beaten at the end by Sharestan, who in contrast was fully ridden out by Murtagh to make a winning debut. He had than a long break and gave his reappearance three weeks ago at Dundalk and won there solid enough, though the form is nothing special as it was a poor maiden. But he should improve from that run anyway in terms of experience and race fitness. He got a Handicap mark of 81 but that could be easily very lenient if his form to Sharestan proves right. He steps up to 10 furlongs for the first and that will suit very much. His pedigree is pointing in that direction and the way he stayed on in the Curragh maiden last year intensified this impression as well. I think he has a pretty good chance to win tomorrow and to progress from there into higher spheres. I have to say that I also really like the favourite Ansaab. He's done very well lto when finishing second to Sharestan, travelling very well for a long time. He'll win good races this year, though not over 10 furlongs is my feeling. Sure, he won over 11f at Dundalk but to win a good Handicap at the Curragh over that sort of distance with juice in the ground is another story. Therefore I think his price is no value whatsoever tomorrow. Despite my good feeling regarding Sharalam I'll have a small saver on Alazan. He's not particularly well handicapped at the first glance but he ran always pretty well over 10 furlongs throughout his career and also showed that he can handle softish ground, even if he didn't win yet with juice in the ground but he won only once on turf anyway. He raced in some good races on turf in the UK but couldn't win from his high mark there, might be different over here in Ireland where he could have a better chance of a mark off 84 now against the sort of opposition that he encounters in tomorrows race. I thought his seasonal reappearance at Gowran Park ten days ago was decent enough. He finished 3rd, not too far beaten and will improve in terms of fitness from that run. Is a nice little bonus that the Handicapper dropped him even by one pound for that performance. Joseph O'Brien keeps the ride what is positive in my mind as I think he rides the Curragh very well and that not only on his father's horses but also when booked by other trainers.

[robertob]

Re: Flat Racing Sunday 22nd April 2012 (Curragh) 3.50 Curragh: Hexagonal @ 25/1 EW Boylesports It's supposed to be the day of Nephrite and if he's fit and sound then he'll win it in canter, no doubt. However it proved already often enough in the past and also this season that AOB's horses needed their first run and barely getting a hard race at the seasonal debut. So there is a chance that Nephrite gets beaten tomorrow, even though it's only a small one. Anyway, if you take him out you have a wide open race that lacks strengths in depth and I think that can be the chance for Hexagonal to get placed at least at tasty odds. It's really interesting that he starts his season in listed company and over 7 furlongs, a trip he never encountered before. Though his pedigree suggest that he'll definitely improve for the step up in trip as there is a good deal of stamina on his dam side and his sire has a stamina index of 7.5f, meanst the step up from 5 furlongs to 7 furlongs could bring out easily some improvement of Hexagonal, who is still a maiden but Listed race placed anyway! That performance came at Ayr on good to soft ground so he won't mind the ground tomorrow. That the connections declared him at his first start of the season over a completely new trip in a Listed race with Nephrite in the field suggest to me that Hexagonal must have shown something at home or that'll be at least race fit. If that is the case and if he improves for the step up in trip then he'll go close tomorrow I feel.