Irish jumps racing expert Tony Keenan has one recommended bet for today's card at Thurles.
Irish racing tips: Sunday January 21
0.5pts e.w. Falco Blitz in 2.10 Thurles at 14/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4)
In a week when most meetings were called off before or shortly after declarations were made, Thurles was never in doubt and this afternoon’s card will provide relatively decent ground, albeit a bit softer than yesterday with rain having fallen overnight and more to come through the day, the going currently yielding to soft.
The softening ground is unlikely to inconvenience many in the featured Horse & Jockey Chase (1.35), with the exception of French Dynamite, and it looks a fascinating, if tough to solve, contest, with my initial fancy at the five-day stage (Fil D’Or) not declared.
I tend towards the view that Allaho is not what he was, only fourth best in a steadily-run, six-runner King George last time, and it is a bit of a surprise that he is out again so soon after Christmas.
Still, he has at least won recently – though what that Clonmel Oils Chase win amounts to is questionable – whereas the rest of the field are on a 22-race losing streak when their recent runs are combined.
Perhaps Appreciate It and Capodanno, coming from what looked a strong race over Christmas, the former travelling second best outside of Galopin Des Champs, are most interesting, but I can pass this over for other races.
One of those might be the Carey Glass Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase at 1:05 where Silent Approach looks overpriced on pure form having run a cracker under a penalty against geldings last Sunday but the quick turnaround is a worry, even with the ground coming her way.
Instead, a small each-way play on FALCO BLITZ in the Duggan Veterinary 4Ctye Handicap Chase at 2.10 is suggested with the extra place general across most of the firms.
He is on a long losing run that stretches back over two years but that last win came off 139 when trained in England and he has dropped to a mark of 121 now despite showing up quite well in last two starts.
The form from his close Limerick third last March worked out well, both Happy Dreams and Bonnie Kellie going up in the weights since, and he went better than the result when fourth at Galway on his second start back this autumn, ridden too forcefully.
Hold-up tactics have seen him to better effect the last twice. He rallied into a close third at Cork in November having got behind after a couple of mid-race mistakes before running a similar race when fourth in the Tim Duggan over Christmas, outpaced three out before running on well.
Both those races were over a shorter trip and in a higher grade than this one and he should be able to get competitive dropped in class here for all there are a couple of lurkers, not least the handicap debutante Ahead Of The Posse in the first-time cheekpieces.
Published at 0905 GMT on 21/01/24
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