Irish Horse Racing Tips – Sunday, April 3
It’s a cracking Sunday’s racing in Ireland with the Curragh hosting a classy card that features two Group 3 contests and Tramore playing host to a seven-race Jumps meeting. Our Irish horse racing expert has identified his top bets across these cards which you can check out below.
Visualisation (3.05 Curragh)
The classy 5yo Broome took last year’s Hollywoodbets Alleged Stakes but six of the previous nine renewals had gone to 4yos and that trend can continue here courtesy of VISUALISATION.
This No Nay Never gelding won three of seven starts last season, claiming Listed honours at Listowel in September when making most under Declan McDonogh.
Visualisation had previously finished second in the Golden Gate at Royal Ascot and had claimed a Premier Handicap here, so had shown a strong level of form.
Joseph O’Brien’s charge ended his 2021 campaign with a fourth in the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris at Longchamp, and he has been gelded prior to making his 2022 seasonal reappearance, which could eke out a bit of improvement. The yard is going well with their runners under both codes at present and there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of pace on offer here, so there’s a good chance that Visualisation will be let loose on the front end and as a result could prove tough to peg back.
Irish Horse Racing Tips. Joseph O’Brien’s Visualisation can land the Group 3 Alleged Stakes.
Markaz Paname (3.40 Curragh)
The strongest bet across the cards in Ireland on Sunday appears to come in the Curragh’s Hollywoodbets Gladness Stakes where MARKAZ PANAME looks difficult to oppose.
Ger Lyons’s 3yo was deemed good enough to contest Listed company on just his second start as a juvenile, where beaten just a length behind two more experienced rivals.
Markaz Paname was gelded prior to making his reappearance in the Madrid Handicap at Naas in March, and that appeared to bring about improvement with Markaz Paname streaking clear to score despite giving away lumps of weight to his rivals.
That was the performance of a Group horse running in a handicap, and Markaz Paname now finds himself the recipient of weight from opponents who generally find themselves out of form. Ger Lyons took this contest with Psychedelic Funk in 2018 and Markaz Paname can provide the trainer with further success in the 2022 renewal.
Irish Horse Tips. Ger Lyons’s recent Madrid winner Markaz Paname can follow up in Group 3 company at the Curragh.
Leahman (5.00 Tramore)
It’s a difficult card at Tramore on Sunday but the Lismore Handicap Chase provides a betting opportunity courtesy of LEAHMAN.
This Lawman gelding is admittedly just 1-25 in his career to date but he has had very few opportunities in this sphere (just his fourth chase start today) and he looked like a horse with a future over fences when a 50/1 third at Clonmel last month.
That came in a beginners chase, yet Leahman will prove far better suited by the return to handicap company today and an opening chase mark of 107 is a huge 7lb below his last handicap mark.
Leahman’s recent Clonmel third coincided with the first-time booking of Sean O’Keeffe, who is rapidly emerging into one of the finest riding talents over Jumps, and it was promising to see the Terence O’Brien yard send out a winner at Ballinrobe on Friday, their first since November,