Steve Ryder has picked out two horse racing tips for Sunday’s horse racing and lined up another selection for tomorrow’s card at Leicester.
14:30 Listowel
Willie Mullins and Paul Townend combined to win this in 2021 and 2022 and had Space Tourist beaten only a short head last year. They are represented by PAGGANE (best priced at 13/8) this year and she sets the standard with an official rating of 125. She won a maiden hurdle by four lengths in February before following up at Kilbeggan under a penalty by 4 ½ lengths in June.
Paggane can be excused her unseat at Galway on her penultimate start as she was badly hampered and ran with credit last time at Killarney when 2nd behind a lesser fancied stablemate in receipt of weight. She drops back in trip to 2m4f which shouldn’t inconvenience her and I expect her to get back to winning ways in this race.
17:00 Listowel
Barry Connell won this with Snake Oil in 2020 and despite Willie Mullins winning this race for the past three years, his representative this season Steppingstone looks vulnerable to an improver. That appears to be SUPREME RULER (best priced at 9/4) who, like his stablemate, made his debut over hurdles before running in this bumper on his second start.
Supreme Ruler finished 3rd behind the 140 rated Mercurey in maiden hurdle at Punchestown before that rival finished 4th at the Cheltenham Festival behind Ballyburn. Barry Connell’s last runner was a winner on the 10th September and Supreme Ruler is expected to add to that tally under Finny Maguire.
14:43 Leicester
Monday 2:43 Leicester- Empowered Queen 10/1 (0.5pt ew)
There are plenty of potential improvers in this nursery but the looking of Oisin Murphy aboard EMPOWERED QUEEN (forecast to be priced at 10/1) is fascinating. The jockey has only ridden for Ollie Sangster seven times this season so far but that has resulted in three winners, two third placed finishes and a fourth.
Empowered Queen hasn’t shown a huge amount on her three runs so far but as a result has been given an opening handicap mark of only 62. She cost £60,000 as a two-year-old so connections will be expecting much better from her and I expect her to run much better in this race.
