DAILY RACING PREVIEW BY ANDY HOLDING
SUNDAY OCTOBER 19
2.16 KEMPTON
BLUEY (best price 5-2) has yet to face a fence in public, but this former Irish point winner comes across as just the type to do well in this new discipline, and she deserves to be play accordingly.
Firstly, she comes from a stable that often do well with their novice chasers and secondly, she has the run style that traditionally proves potent around this tight circuit.
In her two victories over hurdles last season, she made all the running and on each occasion her speed figure suggested she was worth a crack at better quality opposition later in the season.
True to form, she ended up tackling graded races at Cheltenham in the spring but unfortunately, events didn’t pan out in her favour, and she ended the campaign on a bit of a low.
However, she opens this season on what looks a handy enough mark, which looks extremely exploitable over fences, and if she gets into a good early rhythm, she could end up being very difficult to peg back.
BLUEY – 1-point win@5-2
3.26 CURRAGH
SHAOOL (best price 11-2) has probably been on the column of these pages the most of any horse this season, but with her latest effort totally vindicating the faith afforded to her, Johnny Murtagh’s filly can go a long way to justifying further loyalty.
It might only have been a handicap that the daughter of Belardo captured at The Curragh a month ago, but it was chocked full of improving types in its midst and she had to do things the hard way, coming from a long way back turning for home to overpower her rivals late on.
Posting another fast time to add to her collection, she accounted for the likes of subsequent recent winners, Crown Of Oaks and Retracement with a bit to spare and the handicapper’s reaction raising her to 97 was totally justified.
Heading back to a track that witnessed her score impressively earlier in the season, the rain which has fallen in the last 24 hours couldn’t have come at a better time regarding her prospects and although she technically has a bit to find with several higher rated rivals, the reality is she has probably always been a pattern-level filly in the making, it has just taken her longer than anticipated to get there.
SHAOOL – 1-point each-way@11-2
4.15 LIMERICK
Local trainer Eric McNamara finally got his hands on this trophy last season when Real Steel caused a bit of a surprise and there is a fair chance lightening could strike twice with WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT (best price 11-2), following a promising start for new connections at Listowel last time out.
Although he might have disappointed many at the Harvest Festival (sent off 3-1 favourite), his run when finishing a close-up fourth in a competitive handicap chase was better than it looked at face value and there looks to be plenty of room for improvement on account of today’s extra distance and more galloping track.
Good enough to finish fourth in the hugely competitive Kim Muir at the Cheltenham festival last year, that career high was followed up with another solid display in a similar environment around Aintree and he makes plenty of appeal at the morning odds.
WEVEALLBEENCAUGHT – 1-point each-way@11-2