Monday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The favourite Blackbeard is respected for Ballydoyle in this race but I was taken by the debut victory of CRISPY CAT (best priced at 4/1). The Michael O’Callaghan trained colt was only bought for 7,500gns as a foal but made £105,000 as a yearling and he went some way to justifying his lofty price tag with an impressive debut victory at Cork. 

The son of Ardad made all over 5f that day and despite only winning by ½ length he always looked in control in the race. Both the other previous winners Blackbeard and Ocean Vision won at Dundalk on their debut so they have to show they can replicate that form on turf and therefore Crispy Cat is preferred. 

The Jessie Harrington trained DARK VEGA (best priced at 7/2) hasn’t been seen since her debut win over this course and distance but I feel an opening mark of 87 underestimates her. The three-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega defied odds of 22/1 to defeat Boundless Ocean over this course and distance in October and that rival is rated 99 and thought highly enough of to run in the 2000 Guineas on Saturday.

Dark Vega has been given an opening mark of 87 which seems lenient and if she is ready to go following 200 days off the track then she can make a winning reappearance in this race. 

Aidan O’Brien has won the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes a record 13 times including 10 of the last 12 years and his representative this year HIGH DEFINITION (best priced at 7/2) looks worth backing following an encouraging reappearance run. The four-year-old son of Galileo was an unbeaten juvenile who struggled last season in the likes of the Irish Derby, Great Voltigeur and the St Leger but made an encouraging comeback when a close 2nd in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes over this course and distance.

High Definition was passed late on that day by the reopposing Layfayette but that rival was race-fit having won on his reappearance and I fancy the Aidan O’Brien trained runner to reverse the form in this race.