Thurles 14.10 – Mary Frances @ 7/4
Mary Frances comes into this off the back of a career best run when winning a Pertemps qualifier at Punchestown in impressive fashion. This race doesn’t look that strong and while Karl Der Grosse is a bit of an unknown, he has a years absence to overcome and might just need this run.
Mary Frances could potentially get an easy lead, which can be an advantage around this sharp track at Thurle. Throw in that she has course winning form and has a very useful claimer taking 7lb off her back and she looks sure to take a bit of beating here.
Thurles 14.40 – Need For Gold @ 7/1
Paddy is paying 5 places and Need For Gold looks worth siding with each way here. He showed very little in maiden hurdles and his first two handicaps but last time at Navan he showed much improved form when not beaten far in fourth behind Punitive over two and a half miles.
Chris Timmons takes off a handy 3lbs and Need For Gold looks to have sporting claims of hitting the frame at the very least.
Thurles 15.10 – Zero Ten @ 5/2
Sizing Pottsie might be popular after his impressive win in this grade at Navan last time but he has to concede 6lbs to the field. I’m not sure the sharp track at Thurles is ideal for him.
Zero Ten looks worth siding with getting the weight. A useful novice hurdler, he was three from four over hurdles with his only defeat coming in a Grade 2 when beaten less than a length. He won his chase debut at Galway last July and wasn’t seen again until January, when he chased home Cash Back at Naas.
That form looks decent and we can forgive him his fall at Pucnhestown last time, when he jumped the fence fine, but knuckled on landing.
He has a touch of class and could take a bit of beating.
Thurles 15.40 – Wrong Direction @ 6/1
This is a moderate handicap chase over 2m 4f and Wrong Direction looks a big player.
He won a point at Dromahane last April, beating Décor Irlandais easily and that horse was only just touched off in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Warwick this season. Wrong Direction didn’t run again until November, where he ran in a three mile hunter chase at Cork, travelling really well and was only caught on the line by It Came To Pass.
It Came To Pass then bolted up in the Foxhunters Chase at Cheltenham last week, so that form looks very useful now. A run in a handicap off 120 didn’t work out, as he didn’t get the three and a half mile trip but ran a fair race in novice company last time at Fairyhouse when sixth of nine.
That contest is already working out with the second winning twice since and the fifth also winning. Wrong Direction is now down to a mark of 114 and he would look extremely well treated now.
At the prices, this is my best bet of the day.