Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
15:15 Limerick – Georgian Quarter
15:45 Sedgefield –My Gift To You
15:50 Limerick – Chemical Energy
17:20 Leopardstown – Nika Pika (Each Way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
15:15 Limerick – Georgian Quarter
Maid of the Moon should get well with her light weight, but I feel an intermediate trip of two and three quarters may suit her best of all. GEORGIAN QUARTER has a real chance of finally getting off the mark at the fifth time of asking. He ran in a couple of point-to-points, before running under rules, but in three maidens he was sent off at 50/1, 100/1 and 250/1 with the step back to two miles for his last two starts possibly enabling him to register a nice handicap mark.
Connections then ran the gelding over three miles in a maiden hurdle at Cork, for which he went off at only 12/1, and was an eye-catching fourth, seemingly still in need of experience and staying on nicely up the home stretch. Mark Walsh wasn’t overly hard on him in the closing stages, and as the cliché goes, he should be handsomely rewarded for that kindness by racing off a fair opening mark of 109 here in a race to my eyes which has very little strength in depth.
15:45 Sedgefield – My Gift To You
The Durham National is the obvious race to preview on the card, but I thought this extended three and a quarter mile chase had a better betting shape to it. Big Bee Hive is the obvious place to start, and would be made for a big race, but is not highly enough rated to get into the field. A really dour stayer, the seven-year-old has his best days firmly behind of him, and after being outpaced turning for home for the final time, he ran strongly in the final quarter mile to finish a closing second to Prince Cleni at Southwell. That flat track didn’t play to his strengths and Sedgefield will suit him better over the extra quarter of a mile, but I wonder if he may get outpaced at a vital stage yet again, so the top weight is preferred.
MY GIFT TO YOU is rated as high as 91 over timber, he has proved to be an even better chaser having been placed of late off marks in three figures and has arguably been a bit unlucky on a couple of occasions. His third to Jigginstown King over three and a quarter at Fontwell two outings back was probably a near career best. With plenty of pace here, and Alex Chadwick taking a valuable 5lbs off, making his mark 104, he must have solid claims of giving the weight away to the Sam England charge.
15:50 Limerick – Chemical Energy
The Munster National is one of my favourite betting races in the first half of the national hunt season, with a big field assured over one of the fairest tracks in the land. Top weight, and off a mark of 145, Horantzau d’Air has a real chance despite his jumping being a bit sloppy when push comes to shove, but he’s still learning. Being under the Willie Mullins banner, he will obviously be punted on here, but there are plenty of alternatives down the weights to oppose him. Yeah Man made great strides last season, but needs to show more improvement to come off a mark of 140, while Panda Boy, a favourite of mine, ran a superb race for a long way in the Grand National at Aintree before a mistake at Valentine’s second time around put paid to his chances.
But I am going to be double handed here with the old boy Battleoverdoyen and CHEMICAL ENERGY. The former bounced back to form to win his first race under rules for three years, strikingly both came at Galway, which seems to suit his style. The 11-year-old is my saver bet behind his stable mate.
With Carl Millar taking 7lbs off his back, I think he looks outstandingly well handicapped here off a mark of 138 and his run behind Flooring Porter should have blown away the cobwebs when he made several niggly mistakes which saw him lose all momentum. However, he showed in the Galway Plate he retains all of his old ability when a late running fifth of 22, to Pinkerton, off 146, and therein lies his chance at big odds with the enhanced place terms.
17:20 Leopardstown – Nika Pika
I started with the top weight of Speckled Meadow, after two cracking runs at Galway and Killarney in the summer, and with Wayne Hassett partnering him again he has solid claims under top weight, but I wonder whether he’s a better horse over a mile, despite this being a slightly easier task than of late.
Also at the top of the weights, Summer Snow and Selective Power have good chances without either standing out as value at the likely prices, and I would rather go further down the list and have an each-way play with NIKA PIKA who to my eyes simply didn’t get home on heavy ground over a mile at Killarney last time. Back over 1400 metres, with plenty of pace in the race, which he will need to negotiate coming from the back of the pack, I fancy a much improved run with Sam Coen huge value for his monster 10lbs claim on top.
Paul Jacobs’ Sunday Racing Tips
15:15 Limerick – Georgian Quarter
15:45 Sedgefield –My Gift To You
15:50 Limerick – Chemical Energy
17:20 Leopardstown – Nika Pika (Each Way)
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Read More
- Get all the latest Horse Racing News and Racing Tips at Paddy Power News
- When is the Melbourne Cup 2024? Flemington date, start time, runners and betting
- Ruby Walsh delivers his verdict on the Cheltenham Festival changes for 2025
- Horse Racing calendar: Key Flat fixtures and races for 2024
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
