There is Grade 1 action from Fairyhouse this afternoon and Tony Keenan previews the action and also underlines a good each-way bet at Cork.
Irish racing tips: Sunday April 5
0.5pts e.w. Sequioaspirit in 15:00 Cork at 22/1 (Paddy Power, Sky Bet 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
The heart of the Fairyhouse card this Easter Sunday is a pair of a Grade 1 novice events, one with plenty of Cheltenham form, the other with barely any.
In the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at 15:50, nine of the 12 runners took part in the Dawn Run last time, including the second, third, fourth and fifth. An interesting aspect of that race was that it produced a British-trained winner in White Noise and the form of her previous run in a Warwick Grade 2 in February could provide a way into this race.
A Path To Ronda was third that day but it could be argued she shaped best, coming from much further back than the two that beat her. She went right at five out and met trouble afterwards, finding herself in an impossible position and did well to only be beaten by two lengths, the tight track against her. She only barely managed to win over two miles last time, but this trip is more her thing and she looks overpriced.
Of the Dawn Run runners, it would be no surprise if Blue Velvet were to outrun her odds. She was badly impacted by a ragged start and had little chance from her position but did well enough to finish in mid-division.
Western Fold is the only runner in the WillowWarm Gold Cup (17:00) to have run at Cheltenham and he looks up against it here. Predators Gold was a late non-runner in the Brown Advisory and is the pick of Paul Townend here, but he did not have many excuses last time at Punchestown and that defeat brought his record in Graded races to:22533.
Kappy Jy Pyke defeated Predators Gold in that Punchestown race and was full value for his win, sweeping from rear in similar style to his initial chase success at Thurles. He has improved plenty for fences and looks a little overpriced, while Jimmy Du Seuil may be able to bounce back at the track where he put up an impressive chase debut.
Both Grade 2 novice hurdles look difficult. Too Bossy For Us could be a little closer in the betting to Leader d’Allier in the 14:40 and would have finished closer in the Supreme but for mistakes of varying degree at the last three hurdles.
The two-and-a-half-mile race at 15:15 is tough, and the favourite there has a most unusual profile for an Irish Graded race have won a Carlisle maiden hurdle last time. Elsewhere on the card, Shuffle The Deck looks an obvious potential improver on handicap debut in the 16:25.
There are a couple of interesting betting races at Cork too. In the Bar 1 Betting Handicap Hurdle at 15:00. SEQUIOASPIRIT is an outsider to note. He looks better around this trip and further these days, including winning a strong race at Navan in November 2024 and finishing fifth in this race last year.
His most recent run over this sort of distance came at Killarney last August when he finished a close second to Millstream Lady, who is now 16lbs higher in the weights, while he is off 1lb lower now.
Despite this, he spent most of last summer running around two miles, including when shaping well in fifth at Listowel in September, hampered early and finishing well at a track that favours pace and the horses ahead of him then included Casheldale Lad and Bowensonfire.
He followed that up with a decent run at Down Royal where two miles again looked too sharp and then had a break before running at Cork last month. Though beaten a long way here, three miles is probably too far for him, and he made a big mid-race move that caused him to weaken late. Hopefully, that run will leave him right for this and he looks overpriced for all plenty have chances.
I also like two against the field in the staying bumper, the Ampion Ltd. Electrical And Testing (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race at 17:15. Gonewild simply has a very strong piece of form going into this having finished seventh in the Ballyfad maiden hurdle at Christmas. The winner was a close second in a Grade 1 next time while the second, fourth, sixth and eighth all won maiden hurdles. He shapes as if this step up in trip will suit too.
Long Goodbye also had his last run around Christmas, shaping well behind subsequent Champion Bumper fourth Boycetown at Down Royal. He was beaten a long way in second but was shuffled back in the third quarter of the race and met trouble, thereafter, finishing off well while not being knocked about and the third brought a good level of form to the race.
Published at 08:48 BST on 05/04/26
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