15:10 Down Royal – Lord Erskine
This is a very interesting race, with Walking On Glass coming in on the back of a win. Jerandme is course form, he was just touched off in The Curragh. Turnpike Trip as well, you would be interested if he was stronger in the market. So far not but you would imagine if there is cash coming it would be later.
But I was actually going to take a chance on one at a wild price. LORD ERSKINE for Mr Harry Rogers. This horse was very good, going back a few years. In 2017 he landed a hat-trick, winning over a mile and a half at Roscommon on 54, fired up Listowel off 67 then went into the Irish Cesarewitch at one off a market 77. All those were on testing ground which he could face today and in the Cesarewitch he beat Snow Falcon, Ted Veale and Wonder Laish among others. It was really impressive how he won.
He had three starts over hurdles the following season, won twice and was second to Pleasure Dome on his third start and wasn’t seen then for a bit. Reappeared in February over hurdles, well beaten and then had a spin on the flat over 10 furlongs at Naas a couple of weeks ago, back up to a more suitable trip over soft ground. Darragh O’Keefe takes off three – he’s an excellent jockey as well.
He’s 50/1. I’m not saying he’s going to win, but I just thought – I think there’s a first-time visor going on – that he was worth taking a chance on at a massive, massive price.
15:45 Down Royal – Pikaia
First, we’ll start with the favourite Baron Samedi. She managed to win at Cork the last day. I thought he was a little bit fortunate though. Mighty Mirage – a little bit of a thinker would be a nice way of putting it – she got to the front that day and the tail started going mental, she idled plenty and got nabbed on the line. Baron Samedi has got an eight-pound rise for that, which is probably isn’t overly fair but they’re well clear of the third.
Dylan Browne McMonagle takes seven off so you can see why he’s favourite but I just thought PIKAIA for Denise Foster was interesting. This horse has been improving with every start and she was fourth, beaten three-and-a-half lengths at Gowran then was fourth, beaten three-and-a-half lengths at Killarney by Mere Catherine who’s an 8/1 poke for the Ulster Cesarewitch. Then she was just caught close to home by Jeff Kidder at Bellewstown. Jeff Kidder had been in great form. She gets to run off the same mark at 58 here and I just thought that’s a little bit of value against the Joseph O’Brien favourite.
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Frank Hickey’s best bets for Down Royal today
15:10 – Lord Erskine
15:45 – Pikaia
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