Killarney and Kilbeggan tips: Timiyan can lose maiden tag over fences
Although he will be an unbackable price, it will be great to see Malone Road back on the track this evening in Kilbeggan. Unbeaten in a point to point and two bumpers, he has been off the track for 642 days and makes his hurdling debut in the Hurley Family Maiden Hurdle. He is sure to be left short for his first day back but hopefully he can show the same sort of promise he displayed in bumpers.
Of the opposition, the Charles Byrnes-trained Narynkol is most interesting. Formerly with Denis Hogan, for whom his sole success came in an all-weather maiden, he ran well on his only outing on soft ground in Britain before joining Hogan and that gives rise to hope that he will cope with today’s conditions. His half-brother, Naizagai, made a winning debut over hurdles a fortnight ago and it shouldn’t be too long before he follows suit.
Timiyan can take the RacingTV Handicap Chase for Malone Road’s trainer, Gordon Elliott. The nine-year-old caught the eye finishing runner-up in a two-mile-five handicap chase on his seasonal debut and that should have put him spot-on for today. The downsides are that he remains a maiden over fences and has never won over today’s trip, but his recent run suggests he is ready to right the wrong of his maiden status and that the step up in trip will be of no concern at this stage of his career.
And Glan can make it a great evening for Elliott by taking the finale, the Follow Kilbeggan Racecourse On Instagram Bumper. It seems conditions are key to this lady as she has been a late non-runner on a couple of occasions recently and provided it is not bottomless today she will take beating.
The Flat racing action is in Killarney, where the listed MD O’Shea & Sons Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes is the feature. While Up Helly Aa has not been seen since winning a similar event last October in Cork, he has a class edge over most of his rivals.
Willie McCreery’s colt coped well with the testing conditions on that occasion and, while expected to be better for the outing, the son of Group 1 Matron Stakes winner Fiesolana can take this en route to better things. Quizical is likely to be a big price but looks a decent each-way alternative in conditions which suit.
KILLARNEY
Tommy Lyons
1:00 Yarrawonga
1:35 Moonhall Girl
2:05 Facethepuckout
2:35 Up Helly Aa
3:05 Autumn Mist
3:35 Dragon Of Malta
4:10 Jazz Lady 4:45 Wonder Laish
NEXT BEST
1:00 Benaud
1:35 Bell Ex One
2:05 High Altitude
2:35 Quizical
3:05 Ivy Avenue
3:35 Keep Believing
4:10 Full Moon Magic
4:45 Mt Leinster
KILBEGGAN
Tommy Lyons
4:00 Curlew Hill
4:35 Malone Road
5:10 Whirling Dervish
5:45 Sweet Sting
6:15 Shannon Fields
6:45 Birdie Blitz
7:15 Timiyan (NB)
7:45 Glan (NAP)
Next Best 4:00 You Say Nothing
4:35 Narynkol
5:10 N’Golo
5:45 Bridge Native
6:15 Captain Courageous
6:45 Guttural
7:15 Macgiloney
7:45 Red Iron
