Andy has a strong fancy at Exeter today as well as some Tipperary tips this evening.
2.50 EXETER
SHANTOU ROCK (NAP) (best price 6-4) is absolutely buzzing at the moment and is taken to complete a quick hat trick given his current wellbeing. Relishing his new front-running role, his form figures since adopting forceful tactics read 21211 and connections are clearly looking to strike while the iron is hot and ground conditions are in his favour. Bouncing off the quick surface at Ludlow last week, Dan Skelton’s charge sent the likes of Avispa and Co into a spin with a devastating display of speed from flag fall and likely to be kicked in the belly here early in order to open up a decent advantage, the five-year-old will once again prove difficult to catch.
6.15 TIPPERARY
Pat Smullen would have come back into the collecting area and said to connections he messed up on NOT A WHISPER (best price 11-4) at Leopardstown last week (if he’s being honest) and she’s taken to gain compensation in this similar event six days on. To be fair to the Irish champion jockey, he was given a bad hand to start off with being plonked in stall 18 right out on the wing, but he rather let the race slip through his fingers as he got the mare stuck behind a wall of horses as the tempo increased rounding the home turn. As the Dublin venue is all about momentum carrying you forward off the home bend and into the relatively short straight, Aidan Howard’s charge was never going to make up the lost ground with the little time she had left, but he did finish off her race with enough gusto to suggest she would have gone close to winning with a clear run. In decent form over hurdles prior to that unlucky episode, the daughter of Kodiac is fancied to turn the form around the form with Prove The Point on ground that should play into her strengths better than most.
7.45 TIPPERARY
Conditions come the last race are bound to be testing (races on straight track abandoned yesterday due to unsuitable surface) and with quite a few of these being unproven on the ground, it may pay to look outside the box towards the race-fit, hurdling pair VAL DE FERBET (best price 7-1) and JACK DILLINGER (best price 9-1). The former has been a grand servant for connections over the years and even though this kind of contest wouldn’t normally be associated with an eight-year-old hurdler/chaser, his ability to slog his way through heavy ground will count for plenty. Arriving here off the back of a smooth success over fences at Clonmel 21 days ago, it’s significant connections have booked Pat Smullen to do the steering and from a likely positive ride (often races handy), he can show younger legs a thing or two. The latter has also been plying his trade to good effect throughout the winter and it looked like he was going to have his consistency rewarded at Down Royal last time but for the fickle hand of fate dealing him an undeserved blow at the last hurdle when well clear. Prior to that unlucky incident, Edward Harty’s inmate had run well behind the rapidly improving Bleu Berry (won a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse last time) in a hot maiden hurdle and with his stamina on soft ground also proven, there’s no reason to believe he won’t put up a bold display.
