DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
MONDAY JUNE 23
8.20 BALLINROBE
ROYAL EAGLE (best price 9-1) arrives here in cracking form following a smooth success over hurdles last time out and that performance sets Gordon Elliott’s mare up nicely for tilt at the prize she landed in determined fashion last season.
A beaten fourth in a Killarney listed hurdle prior to coming her twelve months ago, this time the daughter of Free Eagle has her levels of confidence at even greater heights and the speed figure she posted at Listowel a few weeks ago backs up that view.
Doing well to overcome traffic and a poor track position rounding the home bend last season, she found a sparkling turn of foot to bail herself out of jail and with Keithen Kennedy once again booked to do the steering, the five-year-old will have every assistance to strike again.
ROYAL EAGLE – ½ point each-way@9-1 (four places)
8.30 WINDSOR
A tightly knit affair but BOWNDER (NAP) (best price 9-2) comes across as being slightly overlooked in the market and the outsider of four might just be capable of causing a mini shock.
A dual winner as a juvenile, Jonathan Portman’s inmate had to be patient for his turn to come this season but when the right opportunity arose, he seized the chance with both hands.
Held up out the back in a 13-strong field at Goodwood 10 days ago, he was still last as the race began to develop three furlongs from home but with a long, withering run down the outside of the course, he swept by all his rivals to win going away.
Obviously, he was reliant on a bit of a pace collapse up front, but either way, it was still some effort from the son of Belardo and having seemingly found his niche over 1m2f, another bold show looks in the offing in the hands of Jack Callan, who clearly gets a nice tune out of his mount.
BOWNDER – 1-point win@9-2