Listowel tips: €50k top prize for winner of Friday feature

Fri, 24 Sep, 2021 - 00:05

Tommy Lyons

The Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle, with a winner’s prize of almost €50,000, is the feature at Listowel today and Bua Boy looks an each-way bet in a deeply competitive race. Third in the race last year, Denis Hogan’s horse raced just once during the winter, and made his comeback recently at the Galway festival, in which he finished a close second behind Arcadian Sunrise, the pair clear of next-time-out winner The Little Yank, in third.

While he is 6lbs higher than he was in this race last year, today’s quicker conditions more than help to offset that and with improvement likely from his recent return, the six-year-old looks sure to make a bold bid.

Grade 1 winner Belfast Banter enjoyed no luck in running in the Galway Hurdle but should go well here despite having to lumber top weight. The Group 3 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Diamond Stakes is the feature at Dundalk, and it poses a real puzzle for punters. On ratings, last season’s Winter Derby winner Dubai Warrior ought to come home alone, but he hasn’t run to form in his two outings this year, both in Meydan, and today he is having his first run for David Loughnane. On balance, it is probably worth looking elsewhere.

On evidence of his third place finish behind Horoscope in the listed Ruby Stakes at Killarney, Charterhouse is well worth his try at today’s trip. John Murphy’s horse found his stride late on that occasion and was really devouring the ground inside the final furlong. He looks the type to continue to improve and, if not today, a Group race should come his way in the not-too-distant future.

Joseph O’Brien has very interesting runners in the once-raced River Eden and the more experienced Ulster Blackwater. The former won his maiden by half the length of the straight and could be anything and, while Ulster Blackwater has no chance if her rating of 82 is accurate, the filly she beat last time, Climate, has since run well in a Group 3 and is now rated 96. Ulster Blackwater was well on top that day and can improve further. She could be each-way value at a huge price.

The nap comes in the Floodlit Fridays At Dundalk Claiming Maiden, in which Princess Plumeria can get off the mark for Ger Lyons.

She showed real promise when third on debut over today’s course and distance but probably found the trip beyond her when beaten next time. Off a near five-month absence, she ran a fine race to finish fifth behind Heavenly Power in a Curragh Maiden on soft ground. Back on this surface and well-drawn this time, she can take this at the expense of Eloso.

LISTOWEL

Tommy Lyons

1:40 Gringo D’aubrelle

2:10 Bua Boy (nb)

2:45 My Network Rose

3:20 Lord Gillygooley

3:55 Buttons And Bows

4:30 Tune The Chello

5:00 Flor De La Luna

5:35 Pink In The Park

Next best

1:40 Gaspard Du Seuil