Helping Hand for punters
He has run some decent enough races both in bumpers and over flight without winning, but this does seem to represent a very good opportunity.
The selection had his first outing on the flat at Limerick earlier this month and was quietly supported in the market, 12-1 to 7's Truth to tell little went right for Charles O'Brien's charge. He was slowly away and then had to challenge wide at a vital stage of the race.
In the end he was beaten a head into second spot by hot-pot, Captainofthefleet, and would have won in another couple of strides.
The form is ordinary, but still entitles Hired Hand to the vote over Swing Pattern, who has disappointed far too often for comfort.
The opening Irish Stallion Farms' Fillies Maiden is competitive and may well produce some winners in the future.
The one to beat looks to be Aidan O'Brien's Ballroom, who made a promising debut on this track three weeks ago.
Racing near the front throughout that seven furlongs, she was eventually run out of it in the last furlong and beaten a length by the John Oxx-trained, and heavily-backed favourite, Emiyna.
Ballroom reappeared at Cork last Saturday, over an extended mile, and ran a strange sort of race.
She broke quickly and was the early leader, but was then allowed to drift back into mid-division. The daughter of Storm Cat challenged towards the outside in the straight, but could never get on terms and was beaten into fourth spot behind shock-winner, 33-1 chance Sapphire Pendant. Perhaps, Ballroom will stride along from the start now.
