Irish racing takes place at Tipperary on Wednesday. With some intriguing, high-quality races set to take place, we have picked out our four best bets on the card below.
Moss Tucker (4.40 Tipperary)
The opener at Tipperary is intriguing, but the percentage call is to side with MOSS TUCKER for Ken Condon and Shane Foley.
He has some intriguing rivals, not least stablemate Quarantine Dreams, who has regularly contested Listed events. However, Moss Tucker has excelled at this track, with two of his three career victories coming at Tipperary, one over course and distance, with his overall record here reading 3112.
His fifth in a competitive handicap at Curragh on Pretty Polly day at the weekend was very solid and the son of Excelebration may be more progressive. His second over track and trip three starts back was to Chocquinto, who threatened a big shock in a Listed race last time out, but there is a stone’s swing at the weights between them this time.
The three-year-old Funchal, who is once-raced with one success, is obviously interesting too, but this is a decent race and he would have to be very good to come through with a win.
Lady Tilbury (5.10 Tipperary)
The Antarctic will be a short price to bounce back after disappointing in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, he never threatened to feature that day and his winning form on his opening two starts was not anything special either.
Instead, David Marnane’s LADY TILBURY may worth chancing. She was also defeated at Ascot, but the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes may have been a stronger race than the Norfolk this time and the daughter of Bated Breath was perhaps slightly too keen.
She still managed to finish tenth of 21, arguably superior to The Antarctic’s seventh of ten in his race, while she also beat Mehmar more convincingly than that rival. The added bonus of that run was that it came over course and distance.
She certainly looked useful when winning her two races at Cork and at this track and has every chance by the looks of this field.
Hans Andersen (6.10 Tipperary)
Ryan Moore only rides two horses at Tipperary on Wednesday. The Antarctic is one, while debutant HANS ANDERSEN is another.
This 7½f trip is the longest he could have made his debut over so far this season as a two-year-old. A son of Frankel and a 450,000gns purchase for Ballydoyle, he is the second foal of a Listed-winning dam, who did so as a juvenile.
That gives this strikingly-named individual an excellent blend of speed and stamina. Of those who have raced, Vernet could be more progressive after only one start than La Dolce Vita, who has now failed on three occasions.
As such, fellow newcomer Young Ireland may prove the most dangerous to Hans Andersen. Nevertheless, it could be a moment we witness another very useful one for Aidan O’Brien.
Disco Boots (6.40 Tipperary)
This handicap is not full of fillies or mares who have distinctly likeable chances. It could be very open and so maybe Peter Fahey’s DISCO BOOTS can challenge for 7lb claimer Jake Coen.
Coen has ridden at a 20% strike rate in the last two weeks, which is very solid for a claimer. His mount also has very solid claims based on her performances at Killarney and Galway last summer and there are signs that she could be nearing a victory again.
She was seventh of 26 in a good handicap at the Curragh in May and though she only managed to fill the same position at Gowran Park next time, she races extremely wide into the straight. Moreover, the better ground appeared to be closer to the far rail anyway.
She is down another 2lb to a mark of 74 here. This trip, just shy of 1m, may be a tiny bit on the stiff side for her, but a decent pace to aim at would give her a good chance of hitting the frame.