14:30 Leopardstown – Up With The Play
I’ve decided to take a punt on Jim Bolger-trained UP WITH THE PLAY and side against the two Ballydoyle newcomers in this maiden.
The weather forecast is for further rain in Dublin this weekend and by Sunday afternoon conditions at Leopardstown could be completely different to earlier this week.
This three-year-old has already been gelded and has a pedigree which suggests starting off over a mile trip will not be an issue. Jim Bolger trained his dam Alterness, and Up With The Play is out of Fracas, who was trained by David Watchman and Barclay Tagg. On pedigree, any possible ease in the going should be a positive and he might represent each-way value against the O’Brien runners.
Napa Valley has speed on the dam side of his pedigree and Seamie Heffernan takes the mount over Ramesses The Great who has American bloodlines, by Pioneerof The Nile, out of a Street Cry mare.
It would be wise to follow any market move on Bolivar, as trainer Paddy Twomey can produce a nice horse to win on debut and has landed a few gambles in recent seasons.
15:00 Leopardstown – Falcon Eight
The Listed Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown this Sunday looks an interesting renewal and a slight puzzle despite a small field of seven runners.
Twilight Payment now trained by Joseph O’Brien won this race last year for Jim Bolger and meets Dermot Weld’s FALCON EIGHT for the second time on the racetrack.
Both trainers have made a rather slow start this week on return to action. These two principal runners fought out the finish last year when Twilight Payment got first run on Falcon Eight and the Dermot Weld five-year-old can reverse the form.
The Moyglare-owned runner finished fifth in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran behind Holdthaigreen and Call The Wind in Paris last October. Those two French based runners fought out the finish recently in the Prix de Barveille at Deauville in May and Falcon Eight can develop into a nice staying type this season.
The Emmet Mullins-trained Oriental Eagle cannot be ruled out following good runs in Germany and is now having a second start for his new trainer having finished fourth at Lingfield in January.
16:10 Leopardstown – Princess Yaiza
The Noblesse Stakes is our second Listed race on the card in Foxrock with nine older fillies and mares declared over the 12-furlong trip.
The consistent PRINCESS YAIZA is rated the highest of these runners (105) for trainer Gavin Cromwell and has previous good form in the book. She was off the track for the entire year of 2019, but returned nicely when finishing second at Dundalk in January.
She was previously second to Sea Of Class in a Listed contest at Newbury and landed the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu in Paris in October 2018. Hopefully, that Dundalk run earlier this year will have helped and she can secure victory her before returning into Group company later this season.
Fresnel performed well for Jack Davison last season, while Loveisthehigherlaw and Camphor can also challenge for the places.
* Prices correct at publishing but are subject to change except on our snazzy new bet widget which is bang up to date.
Leopardstown tips summary:
14:30 Leopardstown – Up With The Play
15:00 Leopardstown – Falcon Eight
16:10 Leopardstown – Princess Yaiza
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