2023 Saturday Curragh Autumn Festival Tips – DS
2023 Saturday Curragh Autumn Festival Preview
We have already posted our UK selections for Ayr and Newbury. See them here. There is also plenty of high quality fare in Ireland this weekend with the Goffs Million and Joe McGrath handicap taking centre stage on Saturday. Check out our 2023 Saturday Curragh Autumn Festival preview and tips are below.
1.55 – Wexford Sand Handicap (90 = 10st)
At double figure odds Shawaamekh should run well here for Jimmy Levins and Donagh O’Connor. Now a 9yo, he has finished second in three of his four starts this season. The son of Born To Sea was beat 1.5l off 75 at Limerick (8f sft), 2.25L by Dragon Of Malta at the Galway Races off 73 (7f hvy) and a neck last time off 72 at Fairyhouse earlier this week (7f yielding).
On his last trip to the Curragh he ran a blinder over a mile on soft ground, beat 5L into 6th of 19 off 78. He was getting 2lbs from the winner Longseoir, he gets 13lbs from that rival today. That was his second decent run at this track. He was also third here over 6f last year, beat 2.25L off 80.
As you can probably tell by how many times I have used the word ‘beat’ in the preview so far, this lad is hard to win with (4/44). He actually hasn’t won since his yard debut in May of last year. However, he has been ultra consistent this year and he is 2lbs below his last winning mark. He showed at Fairyhouse that he remains in form, fingers crossed he can nick a place at least at odds of 14/1.
2023 Saturday Curragh Autumn Festival Tip: Shawaamekh e/w @ 14/1 NB
2.30 – Beresford Stakes (Group 2)
Another crap Irish stakes race. Six run, three are trained by Aidan O’Brien with another trained by Baby Joseph. All but one of the runners are chalked up at 11/2 or shorter so this makes absolutely zero appeal as a betting race. Ozark Daze could be one to watch for the future but it looks like he has too big a task on his plate at this level for now. No bet.
2023 Saturday Curragh Autumn Festival Tip: No Bet
3.05 – Joe McGrath Handicap (Premier)
The Highway Rat is 3lbs lower than when running huge behind Big Gossey last time out. Andy Oliver’s charge has returned to action after a mid-season break in excellent form and he is a classy operator that goes on any ground. Odds of 8/1 look pretty decent for a horse that looks almost certain to run a big race.
However, at the opposite end of the handicap, Mickey The Steel looks dangerously well handicapped. Joe Murray’s son of Hot Streak has slipped down the weights this summer but he’s been running on unsuitable ground. The form figures of his last three turf runs on good read 008 but he is a different horse when there’s a bit of an ease.
Soft Ground
His last two starts on softer than good came at the start of this season. He was beat a head off 89 at Naas (6f hvy) and then he ran another nice race when 4th of 16 at Navan off 92. Since then, he has lost his form but today’s conditions could spark a revival.
Mickey The Steel’s last win came at Navan just under a year ago (5f hvy). That came off 83 under Billy Lee and with top claimer Wesley Joyce taking off 7lbs, he is effectively 8lbs lower today. Any showers at the Curragh would be welcome and with ground and trip to suit, Mickey The Steel looks a very interesting e/w bet at odds of 33/1.
2023 Saturday Curragh Autumn Festival Tip: Mickey The Steel e/w @ 33/1 (5 places) NAP
3.40 – Goffs Million (2yo)
I’m not sure I should even bother putting anything up for this race. My record in these 2yo sales races is atrocious but God loves a trier, or so they say. Apologies in advance to connections, but I can’t resist having a little e/w interest on Pianoforte at odds of 25/1.
Andrew Balding’s 2yos often improve massively for their debut runs and this fella was no exception. After an underwhelming introduction at Salisbury (6f gd) it was much more like it at Newcastle last time out on his second start. He went down by a neck over 6f and the first two pulled nicely clear of the remainder.
Now, the bare form of that race is nothing special but given Balding’s track record at improving his juveniles, another step forward is likely. It looked like an extra furlong wouldn’t pose any problems at Newcastle and his half brother has won over further. Land Force has already had seven winners on soft ground so hopefully, he’ll handle conditions well.
Balding is 0/9 at the Curragh but he has had five finish in the first three, let’s hope Pianoforte sneaks into the frame for him today at odds of 25/1.
2023 Saturday Curragh Autumn Festival Tip: Pianoforte e/w @ 25/1 (4 places)
4.15 – Apprentice Handicap (47-70)
With recent form figures of 000780 it is no wonder that Tall Story is a 50s shot here. Trained by Ross O’Sullivan, this horse last showed a bit of spark when a fast finishing 2nd off 57 over 6f at the Curragh on heavy ground back in April. The aforementioned form figures have come since that run and he is now effectively racing off 43 with his jockey’s claim, a full stone lower than he was in April.
At the tail end of last season he also ran a fine race here over 7f (hvy). He was beat just 5L, finishing 5th of 29 runners. He was sent off at 4/1 on his last visit to the Curragh (7f sft) but he wasn’t on a going day.
The son of Clodovil has form on easy ground over a mile, including two near misses at Killarney off 70 and 72 a couple of years ago. Obviously, you cannot 100% trust a horse with this lad’s profile but he has shown on more than one occasion that he is up to winning a bad race and this will be the lowest mark he has ever run off. IF he reproduces what he did here back in April, Tall Story is capable of running into a place at odds of 50/1.
