Irish tips: Level Pitch may be punters friend
Level Pitch and Kevin Manning win the Racing Home For Easter Festival 16th to 18th April Handicap at Cork earlier this month. Picture: Healy Racing
There are two cards this afternoon, with the students set to enjoy a National Hunt meeting in Limerick, and the Flat fare taking centre stage in Gowran Park.
At the Kilkenny venue, Level Pitch can follow up his recent Cork success when he contests the Dining Packages At Gowran Park Handicap.
Just last Sunday, having his first run of the season and his first since being gelded, he was heavily supported to make the breakthrough and readily justified that confidence with a comfortable success.
He is due to go up 10lbs for that win but runs off a 7lb penalty today, and even that is offset by Willie Byrne claiming the full amount. Effectively, he is running off the same mark as on Sunday, and provided the race has not left its mark, he ought to go in again.
In the opening race, the Gowran Park Golf Club Maiden, the Johnny Murtagh-trained Karkiyna can gain an overdue first success.
The now three-year-old filly raced five times last season and was beaten no further than six lengths on any of those outings. Much of that form reads even better now than at the time, including her debut effort when a close fourth behind the now 110-rated Group 3 winner Sacred Bridge, and her second start in which she finished fourth, beaten fourth and a half-lengths behind recent Guineas trial winner Homeless Songs.
She made her return late last month in a Curragh maiden won by Perfect Thunder and it was a more than satisfactory return to action. She has looked a touch one-paced in defeat in all outings to date, but this is the easiest task she has ever faced and there is no doubt she has the ability to win an early-season maiden. She can take this at the expense of Butterfly Island, who has been similarly frustrating to date but also has the talent to get her head in front.
In Limerick, Bynx can get off the mark in the opener, the Molly’s Late Bar Maiden Hurdle. Since her fall on her hurdling debut, she has run four times over timber and been beaten less than a length on the two most recent outings. Last time, in Cork, she ran on strongly to force a three-way photo in a similar race to today, and a repeat of that effort may be good enough.
Rebel Step was better on the Flat than was the selection and has shown a similar level over hurdles, but he was below his best in the Lincoln on his most recent outing and needs to bounce back. Weddell Sea made an encouraging start to his hurdling career when keeping on late into fifth behind HMS Seahorse, and any improvement would give him claims today.
Tommy Lyons
1:20 Bynx
1:55 Champagne Town
2:28 Rich Belief
3:03 Kashi
3:38 Francois
4:13 Light Heidi
4:45 Four Horsemen
5:20 Leitrim Park
Next best
1:20 Weddell Sea
1:55 Run For Pat
2:28 Bravo Team
3:03 Sequoiaspirit
3:38 Sparkling Stars
4:13 Dragon’s Pass
4:45 Getaway Abbey
5:20 Magic Conqueror
Tommy Lyons
3:55 Karkiyna (nb)
4:30 Level Pitch (nap)
5:00 You Owe Me Money
5:30 Mise Le Meas
6:00 Gamigin
6:30 Wordsworth
7:00 Abstract
7:30 Enquire Within
Next best
3:55 Butterfly Island
4:30 Princess Rajj
5:00 Massaman
5:30 Zaajirah
6:00 Montepulciano
6:30 Sunchart
7:00 Talsara
7:30 Fancy Red Diamond
