Curragh Sunday Racing Tips

The flat is back in Ireland this Sunday and it kicks off with a cracking card at the Curragh. The Madrid and Lincolnshire Handicaps are the feature races but we might see some talented 3yos in the maidens too. Fans based in Ireland will be able to catch a total of seven races live on TG4. British based viewers can watch the racing on Racing TV. Dave Stevos is going to do his best to get back on track after a couple of testing days. Check out his Curragh Sunday Racing Tips below…

2.00 Curragh sunday racing: 5 Furlong Handicap (0-100)

A decent 5f handicap starts off the live action from the Curragh on TG4 this Sunday. Just two of these have had a recent run and they are both short in the betting. Ecclesiastical has been busy in Dundalk throughout the Winter and he won off 79 on his penultimate start. His best turf form is on far better ground than he gets today though.

Big Gossey has also enjoyed a fruitful all-weather campaign and he scored off 85 two runs back. He went close off 90 last time and he is now up to a mark of 92. He too has had his best efforts on good ground and his two runs on soft/heavy resulted in defeat. Very few of these are proven on soft/heavy or over 5f. So, I am going to take a chance on a horse at big odds that ticks both those boxes.

That’s Mad is trained by Leanne Breen and he has solid form at 5f. It is his best trip and he gained his only career win over that distance on good ground at Cork. However, he was placed at Bellewstown over 5f on heavy and he also ran a decent race on soft at Navan off a mark of 73 afterwards. This horse is 6lb wrong at the weights today so it is clearly a tough ask. However, he has the assistance of Chris Hayes and he is proven at the trip and on the ground. If Leanne Breen has him ready to rock on his seasonal return he could outrun his odds of 22/1.

Curragh Sunday Racing: That’s Mad e/w @ 22/1

2.30 Curragh: Fillies and Mares’ Maiden (3yo+)

20 fillies and mares will be hoping to get off the mark in this 7f maiden. Aidan O’Brien supplies the favourite, Joan Of Arc. This 3yo filly is impeccably bred. She is by Galileo and  she is a full-sister to the likes of Gleneagles, Marvellous and Happily. The latter two horses won Group 1s on soft/heavy ground so there is a good chance she will handle conditions. She was beaten a nose on her sole 2yo start in November at Dundalk so she definitely has ability. It would be no surprise were she to get her 3yo season off to the perfect start.

Those looking for an each way interest could do worse than take a chance on Pale Iris. This daughter of Dragon Pulse had just one run as a 2yo. She showed plenty of promise in a race that has produced winners. Joe Murphy’s charge still looked a bit green but she kept on well all the way to the line for 5th and she was only 3.5L behind the winner. She might have only cost a couple of grand but she definitely has ability. She should acquit herself well at 40/1 and at those odds, a small each way interest is advised.

Curragh Sunday Racing: Pale Iris e/w @ 40/1

3.05 Curragh: Madrid Handicap (3yo Only)

Aidan O’Brien again supplies the favourite for this valuable 3yo only handicap. Duke Of Mantua won his second start last season on soft/heavy after he made an extremely promising debut over 6f on soft at this track. He was just over a length behind the subsequent Dewhurst winner that day. It would be no surprise if he proved to be much better than his handicap mark of 104. Still, it will be a tough task for him to carry 10 stone to victory on the forecast ground. Off a 10lb lower mark it might be worth taking a chance on The Blue Panther.

The Mulvanys are well able to ready one first time up and they took this race last year with my Lincolnshire fancy In From The Cold. He also had the 3rd home that day and he is doubly represented here. Rave N Contagion shaped with definite promise in two mile maidens here last season. The drop back in trip should suit on the evidence of those efforts. However, The Blue Panther has much better form in the book and 7f on soft ground are his optimal conditions.

He flew home over this trip for 2nd in a valuable sales race at Naas on his penultimate start last season. He then followed that up with a decent effort in a handicap over 6f off 94, the same rating he runs off today. Again, he finished off his race very well that day ay Naas and the return to 7f is definitely in his favour. A strongly run affair will suit and I am hoping his stablemate sets things up for him. At odds of 28/1 The Blue Panther is worth backing each way.

Curragh Sunday Racing: The Blue Panther e/w @ 28/1  

3.35 Curragh: Maiden (3yo+)

Another big maiden for 3yos and older and yes, you guessed it, another Ballydoyle favourite. Horoscope heads the market for O’Brien and Moore and he is a son of No Nay Never. He ran well over 7f here on debut but wasn’t quite as good upped a furlong at Leopardstown. He doesn’t set too high a standard to aim at. At the prices I prefer the chances of Salvucci. He has already earned a rating of 80 after three solid maiden efforts at 7f x2 and 8f. His best run by far came over today’s C&D in October and he had Horoscope a neck behind him.

It is interesting that Jim Bolger has decided to keep him in maiden company. Handicaps look the obvious move with his rating. However, he must think he is capable of winning one of these. The two biggest dangers look to be the unraced pair Probe and Saatty. However, neither of their pedigrees indicate that this type of ground will be ideal on their debuts. Salvucci has the least to prove and at odds of 4/1 a small win bet is the recommendation.

Curragh Sunday Racing: Salvucci win @ 4/1  

4.10 Curragh: Irish Lincolnshire (Premier Handicap)

The big race of the day on Sunday is the Irish Lincolnshire and a maximum field of 24 are due to line up in the stalls. This is usually a very competitive race and this year is no exception. Ado McGuinness made hay in these races last season and he landed this with Bowerman. He fires three bullets this year, Casanova, Godhead and the 2019 runner up (race held at Naas) Trading Point.

Jockey bookings suggest that the former two horses are his main hopes. Both horses have had pipe openers at Dundalk and both ran really well. However, neither horse is proven on this type of ground. It was yielding/soft when Trading Point was 2nd at Naas but his best recent form has come on good ground.

Mulvany Magic

Mick Mulvany is another trainer that has won this race in recent years. In 2018 he landed the prize with On The Go Again. This year he relies on Comfort Line and In From The Cold. The former is in off a mark of 91 with talented claimer Dylan Browne McMonagle taking off a handy 5lb. This son of Alhebayeb landed a decent handicap at Gowran on his final start last season and he will love this ground. He should improve hugely from his comeback run at Dundalk.

Stable jockey Gary Carroll gets the leg up on In From The Cold. He too won his final start of last season, over 10f on heavy ground. He lacks a recent run but he won the Madrid handicap first time up last season and he is a fascinating contender. I would definitely prefer him of the two Mulvany runners and a strongly run race wll suit.

Well handicapped

Another extremely interesting runner on ground that will suit is Breaking Story. Trained by Sheila Lavery, he will be the mount of Robbie Colgan. I would imagine he had the pick of her two entries (also runs Quizical) and off a mark of 91 this horse is handicapped to run a big race. The son of Dandy Man ran a corker when beat less than a length on heavy in the Irish Cambridgeshire over C&D last season. He was giving Quizical 6lb that day. Today he is in receipt of 9lb from his stablemate, a massive 15lb swing.

Laughifyouwant won that race and he re-opposes today. He is 6lb higher now and Breaking Story is 5lb lower. So, even with Sam Ewing’s claim, he may struggle to uphold that form. Soft to heavy ground is fine, he is on a competitive mark and his course form figures read 137 (7th came on good). I think 25/1 looks huge and from a high draw he is well worth backing each way. In From The Cold has a lower draw in stall 2 and I also reckon he has serious place claims at odds of 22/1.

Curragh Sunday Racing: Breaking Story e/w @ 25/1 NB (6 Places); In From The Cold e/w @ 22/1 (6 places)

4.40 Curragh: 8f Handicap (0-70)

This mile handicap will be contested by 20 horses and it looks a tricky puzzle to solve. The one I like at a nice each way price is Dragon Of Malta. Pat O’Donnell’s charge is effective on this type of ground and he was a two time winner at 7/f/8f last season. Those wins came off 60 and 65 and he is rated 78 now. However, he ran a blinder when 3rd over C&D on bad ground on his final start last term. With Cian MacRedmond taking off 7lbs he is well capable of getting involved off his current rating.

His trainer gave him a spin on the all-weather at Dundalk last month so he should be spot on fitness wise. He is likely to have earmarked this race as an early season target after his excellent run here back in November. The ground looks ideal for him on his return to turf and he has yet to run a bad race in four visits to the Curragh (4253). He was drawn low for two of those good runs and he will start from stall 5 today. Given his strong course form and his liking for the ground, Dragon Of Malta is the each way selection at odds of 22/1.

Curragh Saturday Tip: Dragon Of Malta e/w @ 22/1 NAP (5 Places)  

5.10 Curragh: 6f Handicap (0-70)

Off a rating of 67 it could pay to side with Celtic Manor e/w in this 6f heat. Trained by Garvan Donnelly, this horse was a two time winner when trained by William Haggas in the UK. The second of those wins came over today’s trip at Doncaster (sft) off a mark of 76. His first season for Garvan Donnelly ended without a win. However, he showed definite signs of promise in better races than this. He was beat just a length by Stanhope when 3rd at Navan off 77. He was then beat a similar distance at the same track on his next outing behind Tide Of Time. 

Celtic Manor has had one run over C&D on heavy ground and while he only finished 10th, he was only 4L behind the winner Tresorier off a mark of 76. The handicapper has finally relented and he now drops in grade off a mark of just 67. A flat outing at Dundalk last month should have blown away the cobwebs and the booking of Shane Crosse catches the eye (3/18 with 3 places for Donnelly). On his two Navan runs he looks extremely well handicapped and at this lower level he could be dangerous to discount. 25/1 looks pretty big to me and an each way bet is advised.

 

Curragh Sunday Racing: Celtic Manor e/w @ 25/1 (5 Places)