We give our Monday best bets at Downpatrick and Roscommon as we assess the day’s Irish racing action.
After a day off on Sunday there is Irish racing returning to the fold with two fixtures scheduled to go to post at Downpatrick over the sticks in the afternoon, while Roscommon stages a twilight racecard on the flat.
Our tips for Irish racing have continued in good form in recent weeks and we’ve taken a look over both of the day’s fixtures as we search for further success with our Monday Irish racing tips for the meetings at Downpatrick and Roscommon.
MONDAY IRISH RACING TIPS – BEST BETS AT DOWNPATRICK & ROSCOMMON
1:30 Downpatrick – Ulster Carpets Handicap Hurdle (4yo+ 80-95) 2m3f
GONE RACING has shown improved form for the switch to handicapping and a move to Mark Michael McNiff, getting off the mark on just his third outing for his new handler at Tramore in July and the Getaway gelding can get back on the winning trail here.
Subsequently a good third over this course and distance on his next start he was beaten around five lengths on that occasion behind Gotta Getaway where he met some trouble in running. The reopposing Deauville Society was one place ahead of him but he could reverse that form here with the softer conditions likely to be no issue and he had beaten the same rival at Tramore the time before.
He’s 1lb better of with Tom McCourt’s rival who has had a few more chances than the selection; but the McNiff runner looks to have greater scope for improvement and gets the vote to continue his progress for his in-form yard.
2:30 Downpatrick – Dr. E.F. Logan OBE Memorial Giltspur Scientific Handicap Hurdle (4yo+) 2m5½f
There is a suspicion CHASING ABBEY has a bigger performance to come and the Yeats gelding is taken to get back on the scoresheet here.
Paul Flynn’s charge showed some progressive form in maiden company, scoring at Roscommon last July before switching to handicaps and he ran better than the bare result when fifth at Killarney next time out.
Back from a break at Roscommon, he has yet to finish worse than fourth in any of his four outings this term including posting a good third behind Bua Boy at Sligo latest where he was just over four lengths’ adrift of the winner, not helped by a couple of late mistakes.
That run represents fair form and a 1lb rise remains workable given he’s still lightly raced as a hurdler and may yet have better to come. This step up in trip should be no issue and if the softer ground doesn’t catch him out then he can go close under his top conditional whose 7lbs claim is excellent value.
Aidan O’Brien can land a win at Roscommon on Monday.
4:00 Roscommon – Irish EBF Median Sires Series Race (Plus 10 Race) (2yo) 7f
An interesting opener to the Roscommon card which can go the way of Aidan O’Brien and SAN MARTINO who can build on his recent success at Killarney.
The The Gurkha colt had run well on debut, finishing just over three lengths’ fourth to Snapraeterea and shaping as if he’d come on for the experience. He subsequently wasn’t seen at his best next time at Leopardstown behind the reopposing Vafortino having missed the break and he perhaps didn’t handle the quicker ground as well as some.
However the softer surface latest saw him run out an impressive five lengths’ victor over Dolce Notte and with similar conditions to contend with here he looks worth chancing to strike again with further improvement likely.
Ridden more prominently to score that win, there could be more to come from him as a typical improving sort from the Ballydoyle camp and he can progress past Vafortino here to follow up.
6:40 Roscommon – Roscommon Racecourse Handicap (3yo) 1m3½f
EASCA PEASCA still appears relatively unexposed and John Oxx’s charge could find further improvement having shaped well latest at Killarney in an apprentices’ contest where the Born To Sea gelding finished a good third behind Mere Catherine.
The more testing ground may have been a catalyst for that improved performance and he could be capable of building on the better effort in these similar conditions. He might just have gone off too hard on that occasion and while the form has taken a knock since he looks competitive from 1lb lower in the weights.
A few of these have to prove themselves in ground this testing, but he has shown heavy conditions to be no barrier and likely to have further improvement to come for his in-form yard then there may well be better to come from him and he can get off the mark.