Well-regarded Newton can make a winning bow
The card at Tipperary this afternoon, for instance, can only be described as ‘grim’. It consists of two wide open (and moderate) flat handicaps, two dreadful handicap hurdles, a bumper for horses who have never run and, indeed, the other three races are no great shakes either.
What it all amounts to is an absolute minefield for patrons and certainly the discerning punter will give most of the contests a wide berth.
Aidan O’Brien takes the wraps off the well-regarded Newton in the opening Limerick Junction Maiden and the son of Danehill is fancied to beat de Tiger.
He will have to be a smart sort to cope with Ger Lyons’ once-raced son of Mujadil, who made a fine start on this track eight days ago when touched off close home and beaten a head by another Ballydoyle inmate, Devil Moon. de Tiger showed he possesses plenty of speed on that occasion, but preference is still for Newton.
Jim Bolger’s Solas Mo Chroi is a hopeful choice to land the Solohead EBF Fillies Maiden. The daughter of King’s Theatre produced her best effort as a juvenile when three lengths second to the ultra-smart Vintage Tipple at Tralee.
The selection indicated a little contest such as this may be within her range when seventh behind Arundel on her reappearance at the Curragh.
The winner of the Tipperary Racecourse Membership Maiden Hurdle will lose his-her novice status, just a matter of days before the commencement of a new National Hunt season. By definition then this has to be a very poor race, particularly when you consider it is confined to four-year-olds.
Nevertheless, Arthur Moore’s Derawar gets the nap to provide the solution. He didn’t show much on his first two outings, but was noted making late progress last time when a respectable fourth behind Winaro at Wexford.
