Matt Brocklebank with three considerations for Tuesday's racing
Matt Brocklebank predicts a fine day at Gowran for Dermot Weld, whose Breeders' Cup contender appears to be underestimated in the antepost lists.
1. Ocean likes it by the sea
The father and son dynamic can be tricky at the best of times.
As the second-born son of a successful greengrocer I know a thing or two about not living up to one's billing, but we can only imagine the pressure on the shoulders of young Cieren Fallon, who not only shares (sort of) the name of his legendary old man, but has taken to the weighing room himself in a bid to carve out a career as a jockey.
So the outpouring of joy for Fallon, claiming 7lb, after he registered his first success on John Ryan’s experienced 25/1 chance Plucky Dip at Leicester last month couldn't fail to warm the heart.
He’s had a couple of near-misses since then, most notably going down by a neck on My Lord And Master for William Haggas at York, and then being short-headed on Brendan Powell’s Garth Rockett at Yarmouth last Monday.
They were both quite well found in the betting – which no doubt provides an added edge on the pressure scale – but punters presumably won’t be queuing up to back Ocean Temptress in the Christmas Parties At Great Yarmouth Racecourse Handicap.
She's drawn 16 of 16 and is seemingly bang out of form.
One thing in her favour, though, is a pretty tidy course record. She's been to Yarmouth six times and won at the track last September. She's also got two seconds to her name at the venue, so the idea of Fallon becoming a 'John Ryan outsider' specialist isn’t quite so far-fetched as it first seems.
Go on, son.
2. Johnny be good?
When the owners of Sixties Icon (Roys) and Taquin Du Seuil (Broughtons) team up for what would appear to be the first time on Tuesday, you'd imagine that hopes could be relatively high.
As well as winning the 2006 St Leger at York with Sixties Icon, trainer Jeremy Noseda pulled off a brilliant coup for Susan Roy when Forgotten Voice justified 4/1 favouritism in the 2009 Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, so it’s perhaps no real surprise the latest well-bred project has been sent to the Newmarket trainer.
Johnny Reb, a son of Showcasing out of a Danehill Dancer mare whose sister Speciosa won the Guineas, cost 130,000 euros at the Arqana breeze-ups in May this year and he starts out over six furlongs in the 32Red.com Novice Stakes at Kempton.
It goes without saying that the betting market should provide a decent guide as to just how lofty expectations may be, but it’s worth noting Noseda has saddled four two-year-old runners at this track in 2018 so far, and three of them have won.
3. Stick close to Weld at Gowran
Dermot Weld opted against running Eziyra at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day on Saturday but on a line through Coronet, the Yorkshire Oaks third wouldn’t have been far away had she taken up her engagement.
He also decided to swerve the EP Taylor at Woodbine, previously mooted as a possible stepping stone towards Churchill Downs for the daughter of Teofilo, and given Roger Varian won that Grade One with Sheikha Reika you'd have to think she'd have at least gone close there too.
Weld doesn’t strike as the type to rue missed opportunities and should be heartened by the way the York form continues to work out so well - winner Sea Of Class obviously doing her bit when agonisingly denied in the Arc.
Eziyra, available with one firm at 14/1 for the Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf, is seemingly something of a forgotten horse going to Kentucky and wouldn’t be the worst European contender heading west for the self-proclaimed end-of-season 'World Championships'.
A little closer to home, Weld is mob handed at Gowran Park with a runner in all eight races.
Georgeville looks an interesting newcomer in the Join The Gowran Park Racing Club Today Maiden and couldn't be in better hands being from the family of Weld's prolific Group-race scorer Famous Name, while Irish Guineas entry Baladiya no doubt learnt plenty from her debut fourth behind Zagitova at Cork and could get much closer to the target in the opening Follow Gowran Park Racecourse On Twitter Fillies Maiden.
Arguably the most exciting of all is Tankerville who has an entry in the 2019 Investec Derby by his name and starts out over a mile in the Goresbridge Median Auction Maiden.
He's a half-brother to the Weld-trained Flavius, who was a winner on debut 12 months ago and struck gold for the yard in the Listed Trigo Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.
It’s been an amazing year for his sire Kitten's Joy, with Roaring Lion racking up four Group One wins, so it’s perfectly reasonable to assume this colt could turn out to be at the very least above average.
GET THE FULL PICTURE: Don't miss out on FREE video replays and our fantastic My Stable tracker. Log in now and become a Sporting Life Insider.
Related horse racing links
Next Off
Most Followed
MOST READ RACING
