Horse racing tips: Promising Skippin Court should prove tough to beat at Roscommon
Skippin Court, the mount of Kevin Sexton, should be tough to beat.
The once-raced Skippin Court should take plenty of beating in a division of the Larry O’Farrelly Memorial Maiden Hurdle in Roscommon.
A four-year-old Court Cave gelding, this fellow is trained by Peter Fahey, who introduced a potentially exciting bumper horse, Sherodan, at Tipperary last Thursday.
And he shaped with plenty of promise on his debut at Punchestown six weeks ago, keeping on from mid-division to fill third spot behind favourite Persia, eleven lengths off runner-up Canford Light, in a twenty-three runner maiden.
The winner franked the form with an easy, long odds-on win at Bellewstown on Saturday. And, with that Punchestown experience under his belt, Skippin Court, the mount of Kevin Sexton, should be tough to beat, with Enda Bolger’s mare Choir Practice, a pleasing fifth to Lunar Display at Tipperary, the obvious threat.
In the second division of this event, the John Kiely-trained mare Powerful Out, a beaten favourite at Navan last time, gets the nod over Tony Martin’s Good Time Jonny, having his first run since December.
Powerful Out, a Tramore bumper winner, is a keen-goer and wears a hood for that reason. And, last time, she was creeping into contention when blundering at the second last flight before staying on up the run-in to finish a close third to Lady Lingo in Navan.
This mare needs to tidy up her jumping. But, if she settles and jumps better, she might be good enough to score under Denis O’Regan, who rode her on her previous start, when fifth to Banbridge on hurdling debut at Punchestown.
Ground conditions, following rain in recent days, could prove the key to the Ballyleague Rated Novice Hurdle, a race for which Joseph O’Brien holds a strong hand.
Top-weight Banbridge, wide-margin winner of a Killarney bumper and his maiden hurdle at Punchestown, sets the standard and is expected to appreciate today’s longer trip. But he appeared to flounder in heavy ground on his racecourse debut in Thurles and a softening of ground conditions would, almost certainly, hinder his chance.
O’Brien also runs four-year-old Palm Beach, receiving weight from his rivals, but coming into the race on the back of a dismal effort in Ballinrobe, when jumping poorly and jumping sloppily before being pulled up in a race won by Buzz Light.
A former Ballydoyle inmate, Palm Beach had filled the runner-up berth in his first three excursions over hurdles before outpointing subsequent winner Miss Tempo in Kilbeggan. And, if back to his best, Palm Beach might appreciate conditions more than his stable companion and, on that basis, gets a hesitant vote.
The Paul Traynor-trained Stansfield, whose only success came at the expense of subsequent dual-winner Cavalry Master (rated 128) over fences, catches the eye, off a mark of 98, in the Boyle Handicap Hurdle.
4.25 War God
4.55 Pay The Fine
5.25 Palm Beach
5.55 Skippin Court (Nap)
6.25 Powerful Out (NB)
6.55 Stansfield
7.25 Not So Simple
7.55 Via Rosa
4.25 Stylish Moment
4.55 Dakota Beat
5.25 Banbridge
5.55 Choir Practice
6.25 Good Time Jonny
6.55 Stealthy Tom
7.25 Rock Of Tuskar
7.55 Brog Ban Espana
