Hi
Please see my two picks for Sunday:
Rudy Catrail – 5.15 Killarney – 2m 7F Handicap Chase – 33/1 Skybet – 4 Places – 1 Point Each Way.
I do love a front runner and Rudy Catrail certainly fits the bill!
He was in fine form last year winning three races over 3 miles, each time making all, going clear and sometimes being unchallenged. Those were off marks of 82, 94 and 95.
This season he has struggled to find his form and starting off an increased mark of 106 hasn’t helped. He ran out on his second start and pulled up twice thereafter.
He showed more on his latest run, leading until the second last and considering he jumped badly all the way round this was a fair effort.
That run makes me feel he is returning to form and with a better round of jumping he just might slip his field today.
In today’s race he is the only genuine front runner (although Top Question did lead for the first time last time out but pulled up) and I can see him being ridden more freely this time. If he can get into a nice jumping rhythm, there is every chance he will be hard to beg back.
All his wins last year were on soft ground and with the rain yesterday and a little more due over night it should be riding soft. It’s significant this will be the first time this season he will have his preferred ground.
There is a bit of 40/1 available with William Hill. But I’m going to recommend 33/1 with Skybet who offer an extra 4th place.
I recommend 1 point each way, he is still value at 16/1.
Capture The Drama – 4.05 Killarney – 2m 1F Handicap Chase – 20/1 Bet365 – 1 point each way.
Being 13 years old is never a barrier to success over fences and I think Capture The Drama has ideal conditions today to win his 10th race.
In his prime he won off 112 but at the age of 13 he wouldn’t have a chance off that mark, but today he runs off just 72 and sneaks in here off his correct mark off a light weight 9st 13lb.
Capture The Drama has won over 2 miles and almost 3 miles, but he is best at the shorter trips and prefers soft winter ground.
This season he has been kept pretty busy in the Spring and early Summer placing twice on unsuitable good ground.
They gave him a mini break in the middle of the Summer before coming back for two runs over 2m 7F.
What’s interesting today is they bring him back to his best trip of 2 mile 1F and he gets his preferred soft ground for the first time in a long while. Capture The Drama loves an uncontested lead and there is every chance he will also get that today.
This coincides with the reapplication of cheekpieces that have been missing for the last couple of runs. He wore headgear for the first time ever in March this year and ran a cracker off a mark of 83 finishing third only losing by 1.75 lengths. Now he is running off just 72 he looks well enough handicapped to win, even at the ripe old age of 13.
This is an apprentice race, and Capture The Drama also has the services of Dylan Robinson who is the most successful jockey in the field and is attached to the strong Henry De Bromhead yard. His experience and strong handing can make the difference today.
It all looks good for a big run, so we have to get involved at 20/1 with Bet365 and I recommend 1 point each way.
He is still value at 12/1.
