Weekend racing tips: Allegorie De Vassy can build on promising Irish debut
Allegorie De Vassy and Sean O'Keeffe in action at Fairyhouse. Picture: Healy Racing
The Grade Three BetVictor Solerina Mares’ Novice Hurdle is the feature on today’s card in Fairyhouse and Willie Mullins holds a particularly strong hand. There isn’t a lot to separate his three runners, Brandy Love, Grangee, and Allegorie De Vassy, but the last-named made quite an impression on her recent Irish debut and can follow up.
On that occasion, four weeks ago, Rich Ricci’s mare displayed a method of jumping which suggested she will excel over fences, and there was also a round action to suggest she might be best with some cut in the ground. However, there was also immense potential in the run, her French form looks very strong and, already with a mark of 133, she looks destined to go up the grades.
Her stablemates were both smart bumper horses and have each shown a similar level of ability over timber. The form of Brandy Love’s maiden hurdle success has worked out well and she is open to plenty of improvement, while Grangee ran well in an open Grade One on her most recent start and she doesn’t know how to run a bad race. Both are respected, but a chance can be taken on Allegorie De Vassy, even though stable jockey Paul Townend prefers Brandy Love.
Townend and Mullins can take the opener, the Get A Run For Your Money With BetVictor Beginners’ Chase, with Bacardys. A useful sort, it has taken a few goes for the 11-year-old to get the hang of jumping fences, but his seasonal debut, in which he found only Bob Olinger too good, reads well in the context of today’s race. He was well beaten in a Grade One last time but has a chance to dictate this time and can belatedly get his winning turn over fences.
Ha D’or, who also represents Mullins and Townend, will be a short price to gain an overdue maiden victory over timber in the first division of the BetVictor Proud To Support Irish Racing Maiden Hurdle. He still needs to learn to settle to fulfil his potential, but this doesn’t look like a very strong race and it will be surprising if he fails to make his mark this time. Celestial Horizon and reserve A Fortune Out West are his most interesting rivals.
12:00 Bacardys (NB)
12:30 Nelly’s Money
1:05 Where’s Frankie
1:40 Allegorie De Vassy (Nap)
2:15 Ha D’or
2:50 Flame Bearer
3:25 L’yser
4:00 Robinstown
12:00 Grand Paradis
12:30 Sil Ver Klass
1:05 Ballyadam Destiny
1:40 Brandy Love
2:15 Fiston Des Isaards
2:50 Micro Manage
3:25 The Blind Piper
4:00 Western Zara
The Grade Three Naas Racecourse Business Club Novice Chase gets tomorrow’s card at Naas off to a cracking start, and Stattler can use this opportunity to add to his debut victory over fences. Willie Mullins’ horse was a promising sort over hurdles but looked potentially much better over fences when making a winning start at Fairyhouse.
It might be reasonable to point out that the runner-up on that occasion, Fighter Allen, hasn’t always looked the most resolute in a finish, but third-placed Aint That A Shame was just touched off last time and is rated 136, while fourth-placed Farceur Du Large won two outings later and is rated 130. That suggests the form is rock-solid and considering the winner wasn’t fully extended, there should be plenty more to come.
The selection is potentially a top-notch chaser and tomorrow’s race, in which he faces two recent Grade One runners-up, in Run Wild Fred and Farouk D’alene, will give a good pointer as to how far he can go in this sphere.
Saint Felicien made a fine start to his hurdling career in Ireland when winning at Gowran Park and he can follow up in the Grade Three BetVictor Limestone Lad Hurdle.
Gordon Elliott’s runner was quite weak in the betting that day, suggesting he might have needed the run, but he jumped well most of the way and won quite readily.
That effort boded well for the future and, even though this is considerably tougher, most of his rivals are on a different career trajectory to him and he can come out on top once more. Felix Desjy, a stablemate of the selection, was poor last time but in these calmer waters he could run a big race.
12:40 Stattler (Nap)
1:10 Krabat
1:40 Saint Felicien (NB)
2:10 Champion Green
2:40 Faron
3:10 The Nice Guy
3:40 Charlie Stout
4:10 Santonito
12:40 Run Wild Fred
1:10 Carrolls Cottage
1:40 Felix Desjy
2:10 Steppenwolf
2:40 Global Export
3:10 Ramillies
3:40 Womalko
4:10 Seabank Bistro
