Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips and Preview by Dave Stevos
Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips From Leopardstown and Newbury
Monday was, quite simply, one of those days. Bacardys was pulled up in the opener and it was a sign of things to come. Ilaya was hampered by a faller, Stucker Hill stopped like she was shot after a mile and Easy Game was hampered too. Westerner Point could only manage 6th and it was a day to forget. Let’s hope for much better from Leopardstown and Newbury tomorrow. Check out Dave Stevos’ Tuesday ITV4 racing tips below…
1.15 Leopardstown: Mares Hurdle (Grade 3)
Darren’s Hope ran at Limerick on Monday so the field for this Grade 3 will likely be reduced to 7. Willie Mullins trains three of them, including the short priced fav Concertista. After watching how the horses finished on the hurdles track at Leopardstown on Monday it looks like the ground has turned extremely testing. Whether that will be suitable for Concertista is debateable. She has won her last two on soft ground but her sole start on heavy resulted in defeat. She has also failed to win in two previous runs at Leopardstown.
One mare that will relish the conditions is Mary Frances for Martin Hassett and Sean Flanagan. She is rated 138 so she has to find a fair bit on the figures. However, she gets a nice weight allowance from three of her main rivals and that should help. This daughter of Well Chosen looked better than ever when winning on her return at Clonmel (24f hvy). She beat Burrows Saint by nearly 50L and Great Trango by 58L. However, the worry for her is this big drop back in distance. All of her best recent form has come at 24f.
Minella Melody is interesting for De Bromhead and Blackmore. She ticks quite a few boxes. The daughter of Flemensfirth is already a winner at this level, beating Colreevy back in January at Fairyhouse (18f yld). She only has 2L to find with Concertista on their meeting at the same track last time (19.5f sft) and she has won on soft to heavy. I think that she looks overpriced at odds of 10/1 and she is the e/w pick.
Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips: Minella Melody e/w @ 10/1
Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips: 1.30 Newbury: Handicap Chase (Class 3)
Hopefully all 8 horses stand their ground for this 22.5f handicap chase. If they do, I think Rockpoint could sneak into the first three for Tizzard and Cobden. This 7yo son of Shirocco refused to race last time so he is clearly a risky proposition. However, unlike a few of his shorter priced rivals he is going to relish the soft ground on his return to action after a year off. He has career form figures of 3222 on properly soft ground and he was a Grade 2 winning hurdler back in 2018 at Cheltenham.
Things clearly haven’t gone to plan since that win but he has only ran once on soft in six subsequent starts. That run was a fine effort behind Wholestone at Cheltenham in a Novice Chase when he was beat just under 2L. On that form he looks attractively handicapped off 132 and he has run very well on both previous starts at Newbury. Hs fitness has to be taken on trust but Tizzard is more than capable of readying one first time up. At odds of 14/1, Rockpoint is the each way selection.
Newbury Tuesday Tip: Rockpoint e/w @ 14/1
1.50 Leopardstown: Novice Chase (Grade 1)
Monkfish heads the market for this 3 mile Novices’ Chase at odds of 1/2. This son of Stowaway has won four in a row, including a thrilling win in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham. His pedigree suggested that he would make an even better chaser and he looked good on his return at Fairyhouse, despite jumping left at times. However, his odds look prohibitively short, especially when you consider that only a neck separated him and Latest Exhibition at Cheltenham.
The value surely lies with the Nolan horse, despite his defeat last time. He impressed at Punchestown on his chasing debut back in October and the race maybe came too soon back at the same venue when he chased home Pencilfulloflead. He did the form no harm at Limerick when going down narrowly in a Grade 1 to Colreevy. The chase course isn’t as soft as the hurdles course at Leopardstown and that is in Latest Exhibition’s favour. Yielding ground is perfect for him and stepping back up to 3 miles is going to suit too.
Conflated and Eurobot are also worth mentioning. The former dotted up over 20f on soft at Navan last time, while Eurobot was a wide margin winner at Thurles. They are both horses with potential over fences but the top two’s form reads better. Odds of 9/2 about Latest Exhibition look generous to me in comparison to Monkfish and he looks to hold serious claims.
Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips: Latest Exhibition win @ 9/2
Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips – 2.05 Newbury: Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
Only 7 will go to post in this 20.5f handicap hurdle but thankfully, Paddy Power are paying 3 places. With that in mind, Azzerti could be worth taking a chance on at a track he likes. Okay, he ran poorly last time over C&D but the ground was good. The son of Voix Du Nord is much more at home on a softer surface and he ran a nice race on his seasonal return at Fontwell (21f sft). He was beat 9L into 4th that day off 133 and he is now 4lb lower.
His last win came in a chase at Newbury off 135 (20f gd/sft). He hasn’t run over hurdles in a long time but he has a decent record over the smaller obstacles. From 13 hurdle runs he has 3 wins and 6 top 3 finishes, and one of those top 3s came at this track over 2 miles on soft. He is only 2lb higher than his last winning hurdle mark and the return to this discipline could spark a return to form. If it does he has the ability to play a big part and at odds of 20/1 he is worth backing e/w for 3 places.
Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips: Azzerti e/w @ 20/1 (3 places Powers/Betfred)
2.25 Leopardstown: Matheson Hurdle (Grade 1)
A field of 8 hurdlers will fight it out for glory in this 16f Grade 1. Sharjah, the winner of the last two renewals, is back to try and complete the hat-trick. However, it was much nicer ground in 2018 and 2019 and he is nowhere near as effective on testing ground. Saint Roi heads the market for Willie Mullins at around 15/8. He was beat a neck by Abacadabras at Punchestown last time out (16f hvy) but he was a very unlucky loser. With a clearer passage he would have won that race and he deserves the favourite’s tag.
Aspire Tower can’t be discounted either though. He ran a cracker behind Burning Victory at Cheltenham and he put Abacadabras in his place last time at Down Royal. He dotted up in a C&D Grade 2 at this meeting last year and the son of Born To Sea enjoys soft ground. De Bromhead’s inmate is 3lb worse off with Abacadabras here but that may not be a big enough swing for the Elliott horse to reverse the form. Aspire Tower holds every chance at odds of 5/1.
Beacon Could Shine
At double figure odds surely Saldier is overpriced. He has won two Grade 1s on his last two completed starts and he fell when holding every chance against Espoir D’Allen in between those two wins. He beat Petit Mouchoir by 1.5L on his last outing over a year ago at Punchestown and he enjoys testing ground. This horse is hard to keep right, as is indicated by the fact he has run just twice in over 2 years. However, he has gone well fresh before and if fit he is a danger to all.
Another one that looks a big price is Beacon Edge. He ran Honeysuckle close last time out over 20f at Fairyhouse. That was a career best by the 6yo and this drop back in trip shouldn’t inconvenience him too much. He was narrowly beaten by Jason The Militant in a Grade 2 at Navan last season (16f hvy) and on a line through that horse he hasn’t much to find with either Saint Roi or Abacadabras. He should be staying on strongly at the business end over this distance and at odds of 33/1 a small e/w interest is advised.
Leopardstown Tuesday Tips: Beacon Edge e/w @ 33/1
2.40 Newbury: Handicap Chase (Class 3)
Finally a decent sized field with 14 runners in this 26f handicap chase. The one I like back on soft ground is Champagne Court for Scott and Griffiths. This 7yo son of Court Cave has always been highly regarded by connections. However, things haven’t gone to plan for him since his win off 138 at Plumpton (19f sft) in November last year. He finished well beaten on his next two starts over 20f at Cheltenham and he wad a wind op during his summer holidays.
He travelled well for a long way on his comeback when eventually finishing midfield at Cheltenham over hurdles (24f gd). The money came for him on his first chase start of the season at Wincanton (25f gd) but he never raised a gallop. It was much better last time over 22f here, again on good ground, last time out. That should have boosted his confidence and I am expecting a much better showing on this softer ground. His dam is a half sister to Grand National hero Royal Athlete so this trip should be within range and at odds of 14/1, Champagne Court is the e/w NAP.
Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips: Champagne Court e/w @ 14/1 (5 Places) NAP
3.00 Leopardstown: Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (80-130)
The one I like in this handicap hurdles for novices is Millen To One. I tipped this lad for this race last year and he ran a blinder to finish 2nd. His trainer has likely had this in mind ever since and he arrives in good fettle. Last time out he ran very well to finish 2nd in a Fairyhouse handicap behind King Alex. That effort came off a mark of 115 and he is just a pound higher today.
This son of Millenary is still a maiden after 13 starts under rules but he has been in the frame of 5 of his 11 starts. He has shown decent form on ground ranging from heavy to yielding so conditions at Leopardstown are fine for him. Jack Kennedy is down to ride but he needs to pass a medical. That suggests that Flood is expecting a big run and if he can repeat the form of his fine 3rd at Galway in October he won’t be far away at odds of 10/1.
Tuesday ITV4 Racing Tips: Millen To One e/w @ 9/1 NB
3.15 Newbury: Challow Hurdle (Grade 1)
Star Gate is the favourite for this year’s Challow Hurdle. Unbeaten after one point to point run and two hurdle runs, this son of Special Monarch is a very exciting prospect. His maiden win at Chepstow (19f sft) was easy and the 2nd and 3rd both won since. Last time at Sandown he took the step up in class in his stride, streaking to victory in a 20f Grade 2 on heavy. This looks tougher again but I think this fella is a proper horse and with ground to suit he will take some beating.
Bravemansgame is challenging for favouritism as he goes in search of a hat-trick. However, all of his best jumps form has come on good ground. He hosed up in a C&D Novice here last time out on good but on soft, he could be up against it. The Glancing Queen gets 7lb from the boys and she is proven on soft. I think she can pose the biggest threat to Star Gate here. She shaped really well last time on her first hurdling start at Warwick (21f gd/sft) and her bumper form is rock solid. I think she is the most likely to put it up to Star Gate and a reverse forecast is advised.
Newbury Tuesday Tips: Star Gate/The Glancing Queen reverse forecast
3.45 Newbury: Handicap Chase (Class 3)
A two mile, class 3 handicap chase closes the show on ITV4 on Tuesday. Finnegan’s Garden shaped very nicely in a course and distance handicap last time when finishing 3rd off 115. He is down to 113 now, just 1lb higher than he was for his last win. His last couple of victories came on heavy ground at Plumpton and Lingfield but he has won on good and soft ground too. The best of his three runs this season came off 116 in a class 3 event at Lingfield. He was only 2L behind the winner Aubusson and 1.5L behind Aintree My Dream.
A repeat of that run would give him every chance here off 3lb lower. The ground won’t be quite as heavy this afternoon but as I mentioned earlier, soft ground is absolutely fine. Hopefully Funambule Sivola, Shanacoole Prince and King D’Argent ensure this is a strongly run race. If it is, that will suit Finnegan’s Garden. Page Fuller will likely drop him out and come with a late run and hopefully he can nick some place money for us at 25/1.
