TIPPERARY

5:25 ENJOY AN EVENING AT TIPPERARY RACES HANDICAP (3yo+) 5f

FLASH MCGAHON 10-5 ~ John Oxx trained 4yo by Namid who showed all his best form last season on fast ground. So current conditions aren’t ideal and he struggled in a couple of similar handicaps last season. He made a reasonable reappearance on the all weather at Dundalk but the 2nd Knot In Wood did nothing for the form at Pontefract. He looks vulnerable off top weight and would need the ground to dry out.

NANOTECH 9-3 ~ As a juvenile he chased home Confuchias in a Naas maiden and last year as a 3yo he showed some decent form at the beginning of the season. After breaking his maiden at Bellewstown he finished 5th in an ultra competitive sprint handicap at the Curragh despite not being well drawn. The gelding loves soft ground so any rain will help his chances but he hasn’t reproduced the level of form he showed at the Curragh since. That is a concern as his fitness given he hasn’t seen a racecourse for 7 months. However if able to bounce back to his best and if the ground turns in his favour he could well run a big race.

POINT CALIMERE 9-0 ~ Started the season in decent nick but this 7yo gelding has shown all his best form on ground good or firmer so he wouldn’t want any further rain. More than capable of running well on his current mark but he may find at least one or two too good. As he did when chasing home Grigorovitch and Parc Aux Boules at Naas last time out. He has a pull in the weights with that pair but that’s as good as he is now and those two rivals have scope to improve on the form of that race.

GRIGOROVITCH 8-11 ~ Well backed last time out at Naas when finishing 2nd, sandwiching both Parc Aux Boules (1st) and Point Calimere (4th). The ground wouldn’t have been ideal so it was a fine effort. Formerly with Ian Semple he is some 9lbs lower in the handicap than his highest career winning mark so if his trainer has him back to his best he should run a massive race. His effort last time out was very encouraging and if the ground dries out that will only be in his favour. He has to enter calculations given he has the class to take advantage of his current handicap mark.

MAUNDY MONEY 8-11 ~ Struck up a good partnership with Amy Kathleen Parsons and recorded a two-timer over 7f at the end of last season. Had previously shown reasonable form over the minimum but given how well he sees out 7f it has to be a serious concern now he’s dropped down in trip. Amy Kathleen Parsons has been jocked off in favour of Jamie Heffernan and he makes his seasonal reappearance today. Not hard to find reasons why this son of King’s Best won’t be winning so he faces a tough task.

KILLER LOOKS 8-10 ~ Very interesting given Edward Lynams 4yo is lightly raced and still relatively unexposed. After breaking his maiden over 5f at Down Royal he was an unlucky loser in a handicap at Fairyhouse. He was denied a run for much of the race and once he did see daylight he flew home when it was all too late. Ridden by C O'Farrell in an apprentice race next time out he was given an awful ride switching from one side of the course to the other and despite this he wasn’t beaten far. He probably lost more ground thanks to the shenanigans of his jockey than he was beaten at the finish. He has been dropped a couple of lbs in the weights but he looks nicely handicapped given there looks to be more to come from this son of Kyllachy. Versatile regarding both trip and ground so conditions shouldn’t faze him and he has to be respected.

SHINKO DANCER 8-10 ~ One win in 41 starts for this 5yo mare so not a strike rate to get excited about. Her sole win came last season in a competitive sprint handicap at the Curragh, where she beat the decent Rainbow Rising over 5f on soft ground. The handicapper hit her with a 8lbs hike in the weights and apart from a decent effort here at Tipperary she has shown little since. She has been dropping in the handicap though and runs today on the same mark she had when recording her sole career win. In two efforts this season though she has looked poor and she needs to show better form before she can take advantage of her sliding handicap mark.

ZHUKHOV 8-10 ~ Found improved form from nowhere during the middle of last season and looks ideally suited by 5-6f in soft ground. So any rain should add his chances and the drop down in trip should suit, if there is enough cut in todays ground. He needs to show more than he did on his seasonal reappearance on the all weather but there’s a chance that he didn’t take to the surface. A number of questions to answer at present but capable of running a big race and the booking of Pat Smullen catches the eye.

WYCHWOOD WANDERER 8-8 ~ Responded well for the application of first time cheekpieces when making all in a big field sprint handicap at the Curragh. Hit with a 12lbs hike in the ratings for that performance but it didn’t stop her running a fine race behind Shinko Dancer next time out in ground that would have been against her. This faster ground should suit her better and she has proven to be equally effective over 5f than 6f so conditions look ideal for this 5yo mare. Her form tailed off at the end of last year so she needs to bounce back to form after 8 months off the track but if she can she won’t be far away.

PARC AUX BOULES 8-7 ~ Fomerly trained by Roger Charlton but was bought by Stephen Mahon to go jumping in Ireland. Showed nothing in 6 runs over hurdles and left Stephen Mahon to join John C McConnell. After two years off the track he had a good blow on the all weather at Dundalk and he finished last of 5 in a conditions race. Better for that run he produced a shock when winning a 5f handicap in similar ground to today at Naas. 7 but still relatively unexposed and raised only 6lbs for that win he maybe capable of following up. Life will be tougher though now he re-opposes on worse term with the likes of Grigorovitch and Point Calimere but his trainer could have found the key to him and he could still be improving.

VINTAGE YEAR 8-5 ~ Prefers decent ground and his best effort last season came when chasing home That’s Hot in a Cork 6f handicap. A reproduction of that form should see him run well and the handicapper has given him a chance by dropping him in the handicap. Two years ago he had bolted up in a 5f Curragh handicap and finished 5th in the Rockingham Handicap from 6lbs out of the handicap.  More than capable on his day if running up to his best form but that is far from certain after 10 months off the track.

SEVEN GOLD RINGS 8-4 ~ A real Down Royal course specialist and she has shown next to nothing away from the Northern Ireland track in three years. Been running on the all weather recent and has shown nothing to suggest she’ll play anything more than a bit part today.

BRAVE FALCON 8-4 ~ Showed much improved form this season and after a decent reappearance at Dundalk he dotted up in an apprentice race over course and distance. 9lbs higher in the handicap today given he is 2lbs out of the handicap but he could still be progressing and he maybe able to defy the handicapper. His win last time out was in testing ground so todays ground conditions will be different but he had looked a versatile sort before hand so probably unwise to rule out his chances based on the ground. Given a number of his rivals are exposed handicapper Brave Falcon could improve past them on his current mark.

EBENHOLZ 8-4 ~ Goes well here at Tipperary with his record reading 1,1,3 and he has won over course and distance in differing ground so the race conditions shouldn’t vase him. He should be fitter for his seasonal reappearance at Naas and given his course record he is respected despite being 2lbs out of the handicap.

CONCLUSION

Flash McGahon is the class horse in the race but he has to concede a lot of weight to this field and he was held in a couple of similar handicas at the end of last season. Parc Aux Boules, Grigorovitch and Point Calimere are closely matched on the form of their Naas run last time out. Slight preference would be for Grigorovitch given his form in Britain for Ian Semple but they may all be vulnerable to a less exposed improver. Brave Falcon looks to be on the up this season and although he won a weak race last time out he is sure to improve and could still be nicely treated. However preference is for Killer Looks who has been unlucky in his last two runs and looks nicely handicapped. Lightly raced and unexposed he has hinted that he has a decent future in sprint handicaps and he looks by far the most interesting runner. He is a versatile sort and if fit enough to do himself justice he is sure to run a big race in conditions that suit.

1pt EACH WAY – KILLER LOOKS @ 9/1

RESULT

KILLER LOOKS 6th = -2pts