Ruby Walsh: Tuesday’s best bets at Clonmel could be just swell

Clonmel 14:00 – Coolagh Park @ 7/2 

We’re racing today at Clonmel and it’s a trappy race to start. Farmix, for my money, has been a bit disappointing. He was second to Groovy Rover on his last start and he was second before that as well, beaten a long way.

If he reproduced his last run, he could be hard to beat but I thought the last day was a golden opportunity for him. Coolagh Park, for Gordon Elliott, was a very good second on his last start and Keith Donoghue rides. The form of that run has worked out with Ballymacaw winning last weekend and on that form, I think Coolagh Park could beat Farmix.

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Clonmel 14.30 – Big Debates @ 9/1 

It’s not surprising to see no stars here given that we’re coming close to the end of the season. Cosa Ban was going to run well when he fell at Gowran Park the last day and a reproduction of that is probably going to give him a chance.

Michael Hourigan’s Elusive Star has better point-to-point form than it does course form but the one I like is Robert Tyner’s horse Big Debates. He made a bad mistake the last day at Fairyhouse behind Energumene and he’s got form behind Minella Indo & Felix Desjy in point-to-points. He’ll do for me at a nice each-way price.

Clonmel 15:00 – watch market moves

These 80-95 handicap hurdles are always extremely competitive and the best advice I can say here is that if there is a market move, follow it.

I find that in these races, there’s a horse with a heap of zeros beside his name that has about 10lbs in hand of the other and that could be the case here. Until you see the market moves, you don’t know which one it is though.

Clonmel 15:30 – Bitsandpieces @ 11/4

Plenty will be familiar with a few of these like Bitsandpieces and Empire Burlesque. Chesterville was a disappointing fourth the other day and the one to beat is Bitsandpieces. He’s won two of his eight runs over hurdles and he was third behind Pound A Stroke in Clonmel earlier in the month.

He doesn’t have to improve much after that to win here and because Empire Burlesque hasn’t won a race since he won his bumper, you’d have to go with Bitsandpieces.

Clonmel 16:00 – Bachasson @ 4/6 

It’s amazing to go from the first four races to such a good race like this. Bachasson was a good sixth in the Coral Cup and he has good chase form. He hasn’t run over fences since last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and is a handy little horse.

Clonmel will really suit him.

I thought Death Duty was disappointing in Cheltenham and they seemed to fancy him too. He’s dropping down in class here but I’d say Bachasson’s hurdle run in Cheltenham is better than Death Duty’s chase run. Some of Mortal’s form last year would give him a chance and he might be the value to finish second to Bachasson.

Clonmel 16.30 – Robin Deuz Pois @ 5/2

Robin Deuz Pois for the Go Go Go Partnership could take a bit of beating here. He won in Newcastle on the Saturday after Cheltenham when Jamie Codd rode him and before that, he ran well behind Se Mo Laoch at Fairyhouse. His form is rock solid and he’ll be following up here with Sean O’Keeffe on board.

Clonmel 17.00 – Yousayitbest @ 4/1 

This looks a really good bumper. Yousayitbest cost €220,000 and he didn’t run against Ballyadam – who won at Downpatrick – on Sunday. Patrick rides the newcomer Kilcruit for Tony Mullins and I’m a bit surprised that Patrick is switching camps as Captain Kangaroo stays really well and he could be a bit of value.

Yousayitbest is the horse to beat though. Henry De Bromhead bought both Bob Olinger and Yousayitbest for connections at the same time and Bob Olinger has already won his bumper. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yousayitbest is a similar type.