*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change
* UPDATE: Today’s meeting at Thurles has been abandoned after failing an inspection.
Ruby Walsh and Frank Hickey have tipped up a trio of best bets ahead of action at Thurles on Sunday.
Speaking on the latest episode of Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast, our main men are surprisingly in complete agreement over their most fancied runners in County Tipperary – but do you agree with their selections?
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Ruby Walsh
1.30pm – Colreevy
COLREEVY is still a novice so she has chasing options at the festival, and there is one novice chase at Limerick the Sunday before Cheltenham which she qualifies for over 2m6f. That is a graded novices’ chase worth a pretty penny so there is also that option, depending on which way they decide to go with her.
The danger to her this weekend is her stable companion, Yukon Lil, who won well at Cork on her chasing debut. She beat Scarlet And Dove but then didn’t get home at Navan over two-and-a-half miles behind Fils D’Oudairies. But we saw him chase home Envoi Allen last weekend and Navan and Thurles are chalk and cheese so ridden with a bit more restraint and for speed, Yukon Lil could be the only one in this field to trouble Colreevy.
2.00pm – Allaho
I fancy ALLAHO. Watching back his RSA run from last year, he was always doing too much. He always wanted to go a stride faster and they were going pretty strongly as it was over 3m1f. Dropping back to two-and-a-half miles will really suit him. We couldn’t see the John Durkan but he finished behind Battleoverdoyen in the fog. We can only take reports at face value from that, but Battleoverdoyen was very good at Down Royal when he beat Easy Game and Samcro.
Elimay is the interesting one here for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase, as she will be heading down that road and gets the mares’ allowance in this race. She won here last year when she beat Cut The Mustard but Allaho is the one I like.
3.00pm – Gentlemansgame
This is the W.T.O’Grady’s Memorial Novice Hurdle for five-year-olds. It was won by Monkfish last year, and Fighter Allen, Heather Rocco and Torygraph are all in it but the really interesting one is GENTLEMANSGAME. He absolutely bolted in at Cork on his first start this season and steps up in trip now from 2m to 2m7f. You had to be taken by his performance, ridden that day by Rachel Blackmore. Robbie Power is back in Ireland now so he takes over.
Fighter Allen was bitterly disappointing in Navan – I don’t know what the excuse was but he ran too bad to be true – and he’s a good yardstick so we’ll learn a bit more about Gentlemansgame here.
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Frank Hickey
1.30pm – Colreevy
I really like COLREEVY and I think she’s a big player in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham. She really showed a good attitude to win the Grade 1 at Limerick at Christmas – she has a 7lb penalty for that, but I think she’s a better horse than all of these even with the penalty. She won the Grade 1 bumper at Punchestown as well so she’s a top-class mare and I think she will win this.
2.00pm – Allaho
You would hope that ALLAHO is reverted to more positive tactics and if he is ridden from the front here, he should be difficult to peg back. It’s hard to get away from his run in the RSA last year, as I didn’t think he would see it out as well he did. He was only beaten by two lengths in the end and he jumped and travelled really nicely. If he comes back to that form, he will have a massive chance in this and in the Ryanair.
3.00pm – Gentlemansgame
I think GENTLEMANSGAME is a very interesting horse, and was wondering if he would go down the Ballymore route but by stepping straight up to 3m they’re obviously looking at the Albert Bartlett. I was quite keen on Fakiera for the Albert Bartlett but I wouldn’t be surprised if Gentlemansgame is challenging Stattler for favouritism in that come Sunday evening. He’s an intriguing runner and I think he’s got loads of ability. If he wins this, he becomes a massive player.
It would make sense to back Gentlemansgame for the Albert Bartlett with Paddy’s Non-Runner, Money Back offer now, because if he wins on Sunday he’ll be considerably shorter for March than he is now. That’s definitely the way to go.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change
Ruby and Frank’s Thurles bet summary – Sunday, January 24
Ruby Walsh
1.30pm – Colreevy
2.00pm – Allaho
3.00pm – Gentlemansgame
Frank Hickey
1.30pm – Colreevy
2.00pm – Allaho
3.00pm – Gentlemansgame
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