Horse Racing Tips: Our 5 best bets for Thursday at Fairyhouse

13.00: ASTADASH (NB)

Judged on her eye-catching debut in an above average fillies maiden, ASTADASH should prove very hard to beat over the 1m2f trip. Sent off at 100/1, the daughter of Zoffany was slowly into stride and had her passage blocked before flying home late to be beaten less than a length.

Since that effort 16 days ago, the winner Ennistymon followed up with a gallant runner-up performance behind Frankly Darling in the Ribblesdale Stakes, beaten a diminishing 1.75 lengths. Slaney East would appear to offer the main threat to Kevin Prendergast’s filly after a promising debut at the Curragh while Serene Spirit looks the best of the newcomers in the line-up.

13.30: HOSIER

It’s not often that a Fairyhouse maiden can be used as a guide for a Classic but that might be the case here with HOSIER taking his chance. A respectable sixth on debut at Leopardstown 16 days ago, Joseph O’Brien’s son of Camelot was beaten less than four lengths by winner Tiger Moth with Dawn Patrol, Order Of Australia and Amhran Na Bhfiann all close in behind.

That quartet are all still in the mix for Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh. Apart from that, there was plenty to like about Hosier’s debut performance and he had Alghazaal behind him that day too. With normal improvement, he should be hard to beat.

14.00: PROTAGONIST

An ultra-competitive 1m2f handicap where two impressive winners from the last seven days in PROTAGONIST and Silvertown clash. There was plenty of word for Jessica Harrington’s three-year-old at Gowran last Friday, on his stable debut, and he won like a well-handicapped horse.

He, like Silvertown, who won at Tipperary on the same day, have both gone up 6lbs but there was way more to like about Protagonist’s win and last Friday suggested that he’s got another couple of wins in him. Mythologic has been running consistently well and merits a mention while Howling Wolf beat Santiago in a maiden last summer and shouldn’t be discounted either.

16.00: PRINCESS ZOE (NAP)

The classier of the two 1m5f handicaps and after an unlucky effort at Navan on Wednesday, PRINCESS ZOE looks to have an ideal opportunity to gain compensation here. Having her first run for Tony Mullins, the grey was given plenty to do by Shane Foley turning in and could very well have overhauled the winner Walking On Glass if for not having her path blocked over 1f out.

Despite that, she still motored home to be beaten just over a length. Like on Wednesday, she runs off a mark of 64 and her Navan run proved that she’s quite a bit better than her rating suggests. Oromo returns to the scene of his win last week but has gone up 6lbs for that success while at a big price, Future Gold might be worth considering under the champion jockey Colin Keane. He and Tom Mullins had a 33% strike rate last season alone.

16.30 Place Des Vosges

All eyes will be on Camlann as he prepares for yet another assault on the Galway festival but he’s likely to be in need of the outing having not run for 10 months. De Mazzaro is sure to be popular after his Fairyhouse win last week but preference goes for PLACE DES VOSGES, who ran a hugely encouraging race in a similar contest at the same meeting.

Having his first outing for Mark Fahey, the five-year-old came from way off the pace to finish a staying-on fifth, only beaten three lengths by the winner. The step up in trip is sure to suit and with Gavin Ryan once again in the plate, a bold bid can be expected.

Tips for Fairyhouse on Thursday

13.00 Astadash (NB)
13.30 Hosier
14.00 Protagonist
16.00 Princess Zoe (NAP)
16.30 Place Des Vosges

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