- DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13
3.00 DONCASTER
ROOM SERVICE (best price 8-1) arrives here following a disappointing run at The Curragh, but it is worth remembering Kevin Ryan’s inmate is 2-2 at today’s track and a return to Town Moor might just be the kick up the backside he needs to reignite the flame.
In mitigation, life was always going to difficult for the son of Kodi Bear, stuck out on the wing from stall 11 of 11 and so it proved, as he was never travelling as well as most of his rivals from the start.
Prior to that below-par effort, he had come from a long way back to finish a never-nearer runner-up to Quinault in a strongly affair at York and with the likes of Lethal Levi and Lake Forest boosted the form since, a repeat of something similar would give him an excellent chance of going one place better.
Additionally, it is noticeable that his four career best performances have all come on soft ground and with first-time cheekpieces on a possible source of improvement, the talented but quirky four-year-old could easily rebound back in the right direction.
ROOM SERVICE – ½ point each-way@8-1
4.25 LEOPARDSTOWN
EXACTLY (best price 8-1) has just been on the fringes of the main action so far this season but returning to the scene of some of her best previous efforts, a chance is taken on Aidan O’Brien’s filly recapturing the glory days.
Right up there with some of the best two-year-olds of her generation last season, the daughter of Frankel hasn’t quite hit the heights expected but there has been some encouragement along the way, particularly on her last two starts.
Not far off two of today’s main rivals, Fallen Angel and January at Deauville two outings ago, she featured prominently in a red-hot Group 1 against the boys at York last time out and it was a performance that earned her a big speed figure.
Looking at her best efforts as a juvenile, they all came over today’s course and with the latter pair coming on soft ground in the autumn, hope is high a reacquaintance with the Dublin venue continues her form figures of 1212.
EXACTLY – ½ point each-way@8-1 (four places)
6.05 LEOPARDSTOWN
AERONAUTIC (best price 13-2) hasn’t managed to get his head in front so far this season but he has run a couple of belters in top-quality handicaps and a repeat of either performance back at a track where he has gone well in the past should see him vying for top honours.
A close up fifth behind French Master at Royal Ascot, Joseph O’Brien’s inmate once again came over the Irish Sea to contest a similar event at Goodwood last time out and for nine tenths of the journey he looked like he was going to walk away with the prize.
Just gunned down late on, he still left the Sussex venue with his head held high and it was a display which sets him up nicely for a crack at some decent autumn pots.
It’s also worth pointing out, the four-year-old ran to a high level in victory and defeat over today’s course last season and a profile that suggests there might be still plenty more to come, this lightly-raced gelding can back up that view on his return to the Dublin circuit.
AERONAUTIC – ½ point each-way@13-2 (five places)