Bellewstown tips: Jesse Evans can defy top weight in finale
Jesse Evans, left, ran a cracker when second to
Back on the Flat and with Pat Taaffe claiming a valuable 7lb, Jesse Evans might be capable of defying top weight in today’s Bellewstown finale, the Panda Power (Amateur) Handicap.
Trained by Noel Meade, this So You Think gelding has four wins on his CV, including a Listowel bumper and a maiden hurdle at Gowran Park two years ago.
He won a flat maiden in Navan last October, but is better-known as a hurdler, having competed in a number of ultra-competitive handicap hurdles over the winter.
On his penultimate start, his first outing on the level since his Navan success, Noel Meade’s charge went down by a head to Harrys Legacy in a flat handicap at Killarney last month, with one of today’s rivals, Cozone, close behind.
Last time out, Jesse Evans reverted to handicap hurdling and, ridden by Bryan Cooper, ran a cracker in the Guinness Galway Hurdle, where he fluffed the final flight, when in front, before being outpointed up the hill by Tudor City and beaten three-quarters of a length.
The handicapper put Jesse Evans up 4lb to a hurdle mark of 142 in the wake of that creditable effort. And, off a flat mark of 89, with Taaffe’s claim helping his cause, he should have a great chance to return to winning ways.
Jessica Harrington’s National Ballet, a former Ballydoyle inmate, finished sixth to Sionnach Eile in the valuable Guinness Handicap in Galway, on his second start for new connections, and, with Patrick Mullins booked, looks the main threat.
Colin Keane is returning to action, after an absence caused by a wrist injury, and has obvious prospects on Noel Meade’s She’s Local in the opening two-year-old maiden and the Ger Lyons-trained Smile Of Love in the median auction maiden.
She’s Local has improved with each of her three runs, chased home the smart Queen Of Ours in Sligo last time, and sets the standard in the opener.
And, having run creditably against top opposition in two of her three juvenile starts, Smile Of Love shaped like a sure-fire future winner on her recent three-year-old debut in Tipperary, finishing strongly and failing by a half-length to catch Spring Feeling.
With that run under her belt and stepping up slightly in trip, Smile Of Love should take plenty of beating.
The five-furlong J H McLoughlin Oil Handicap looks a cracker and affords joint top-weight Harmony Rose, the mount of 3lb claimer Joey Sheridan, an opportunity to return to winning ways.
Ken Condon’s charge has won only once in 15 starts, but she has run consistently this season, being pipped by subsequent scorer Erosandpsyche in a Cork handicap on her penultimate start and last time out, chasing home Big Gossey at the Curragh, after a tardy start.
She has solid each-way claims again today, against the likes of Jarvis and Curraheen Princess.
4.10 She’s Local
4.40 Smile Of Love (NB)
5.10 Barnhill Rose
5.40 Talking Tough
6.10 Flame Of Eire
6.40 Harmony Rose
7.10 White Caviar
7.40 Jesse Evans (Nap)
4.10 Betterdaysrcoming
4.40 Bienvenue
5.10 The Bog Bank
5.40 Heer At Dawn
6.10 Superior Force
6.40 Jarvis
7.10 Ark
7.40 National Ballet
