Curragh Irish Cesarewitch Meeting Tips – DS
Curragh Irish Cesarewitch Meeting Preview
It was a good day for us on Saturday. We landed a winner and four places from seven tips, it was just unfortunate that the two biggest priced selections flopped. Creatively wasn’t up to the task and Perotto ran no sort of race. We are back in action in Ireland on Sunday. Dave Stevos’ Curragh Irish Cesarewitch Meeting tips are below.
1.25 – Irish EBF Maiden (2yo)
The plunge horse overnight was Narmar. Trained by Henry De Bromhead, this son of Invincible Spirit ran a very eye-catching race in a Dundalk barrier trial. He finished hard on the bridle just behind Marco Monaco, and on that evidence, he has the beating of that horse. Marco Monaco has since run pretty poorly in a Naas maiden so the form is questionable. Narmar will likely beat him here if handling the ground but the early 66s is well gone so I’m happy to keep a watching brief today.
Instead, at 25/1 I am going to take a chance on Quar Shamar for Jessie Harrington and Dusty Foley. This colt is by a first class sire in Shamardal and his dam hasn’t got a bad pedigree either. She was unraced herself but her full sister was a Listed/G3 winner and she is a half to Quetena, a Listed winner who has produced the classy Sharjah Bridge and G1 winner Querari.
Harrington has a good record at the Curragh with her 2yos and she had a 2nd with one here yesterday. Whatever this colt does as a 2yo will be a bonus and he should improve with age. However, there is a chance he is forward enough to do himself justice today given who trains him and at odds of 25/1, a small e/w interest is advised.
Curragh Irish Cesarewitch Meeting Tip: Quar Shamar e/w @ 25/1
1.55 – Median Sires Maiden (2yo)
Andy Oliver is a shrewd operator and he has booked Billy Lee for the ride on Picture Of A City here. Oliver is no mug when it comes to prepping 2yos and this season he has had 3 winners and 6 places from just 25 juvenile runners on the turf. This colt cost 18k and he is by a decent sire in Cityscape. He is actually a half brother to a horse we backed on Friday, Quenelle D’Or.
Hugo Palmer was saying prior to her race that she needed softer ground so conditions look ideal at the Curragh for this fella today. Three of Oliver’s last twelve runners have won, so he is in great form, and this 2yo was a February foal so you’d imagine he is pretty well developed physically. On pedigree this looks the right trip for him to start at and he’s been nibbled at in the market. Odds of 25/1 are still big enough to warrant a small e/w bet, hopefully he runs a nice race.
Curragh Irish Cesarewitch Meeting Tip: Picture Of A City e/w @ 25/1
2.30 – Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden (2yo)
We backed Freedom Falls last time in the belief that soft ground would suit her. She proved us right, but unfortunately she somehow missed out on place money. Jack Davison’s filly gets her ground today and if she repeats that excellent run, she ought to be hard to beat at 7/4. Tooprofitable caught my eye in the big sales race at Naas last time out. Michael Grassick had an impressive winner here yesterday and I’d be interested in this filly if the ground were better.
She is related to a couple of good horses, including Bell Rock, runner up in the Cambridgeshire yesterday. The way this horse finished at Naas you’d imagine she’ll want 7f or even 8f and the soft ground is a worry. Her winning siblings both preferred fast ground and I’m happy to just watch her for today. To be honest, nothing is screaming out to be backed here so I’m not going to have a bet just for the sake of it. The powder will be kept dry.
Curragh Irish Cesarewitch Meeting Tip: No Bet
3.05 – Renaissance Stakes (Group 3)
The first of two G3s on today’s card is the Renaissance Stakes. Due to the defection of Vertiginous (a very interesting recruit for Jack Davison) only seven run. Power Under Me is a horse I really like and he would have a chance on his length 3rd to Teresa Mendoza. Sam Maximus sickened me when winning last time out as he is a horse we have backed a few times before. He’ll like the ground and the first time visor is interesting. Art Power hacked up on his last visit to the Emerald Isle and he is a worthy fav. However, with just two places on offer this is another no bet race for me.
Curragh Irish Cesarewitch Meeting Tip: No Bet
3.40 – Weld Park Stakes (Group 3)
Sioux Nation is having a first season to remember as a sire. Matilda Picotte, Ocean Quest and Brave Nation have all produced top class form and he has another interesting daughter here with Sioux Spirit. Trained by Ken Condon, this filly is out of a Sir Percy dam who is a half to a G3 2yo Ascot winner. She is bred to be sharp and she has improved with every run, as horses from the Condon yard usually do.
Her debut at Cork was a lovely run over 5f. She finished off very nicely and was only beat 2.75L into 4th. She then ran over 6f at this track and was only beat 0.75L by Daamberdiplomat. He has since finished just 3L behind Treasure Trove and is now rated 90+. Ocean Jewel was back in 6th and she has subsequently finished 2nd in a Listed contest so it is decent form.
Up In Trip
Sioux Spirit finally got off the mark last time at Navan. She hacked up over 5f and now, she tries 7f for the first time. Will she stay? She looked like she just ran out of steam over 6f when she ran here on her second start but that day she was ridden very aggressively.
If Billy Lee takes his time on her she should stay and the dam side of her pedigree offers plenty of encouragement for this distance. Ken Condon isn’t usually one for overfacing fillies and at odds of 20/1, Sioux Spirit can hopefully nick some black type.
Curragh Irish Cesarewitch Meeting Tip: Sioux Spirit e/w @ 20/1 NB
4.15 – Irish Cesarewitch (Premier Handicap)
I don’t think I’ve ever backed the winner of this race, but this could finally be the year! The one I am going to take a chance on at odds of 40/1 is Shanroe. Trained by Karl Thornton, I can’t believe this horse is such a huge price. Okay, he was beaten 17L last time out but that was in a Group 1 and what’s more, the handicapper dropped him 3lbs to 101 for that effort.
On his last handicap start, off 105, this horse ran a cracker in the Ebor (14f gd/fm). The ground was on the quick side for him but he still ran really well and the way he finished suggested that further would suit. Previous to that, on his last start on soft, he beat Sandhurst by 0.5L over 14f at Galway. In the 2021 Ebor he also ran a huge race, again beat just 3L off 101. Prior to that fine effort he landed a 14f handicap at this track, beating Pondus off 94.
The way this horse has been campaigned, his trainer must believe he can win one of these big staying handicaps. The key might be this trip. He bombed out in a 16f heat at Naas last October but that was on bottomless ground. Today’s surface will suit much better and he is one from two at the Curragh. That Irish Leger run last time wasn’t bad at all and back in handicap company, Shanroe is worth chancing e/w at odds of 40/1.
