Fran Berry has three best bets for today's card at Leopardstown including a strong fancy in the finale.
It’s a very good card at Leopardstown this afternoon, starting with two very decent two-year-old races.
The Frank Conroy Silver Flash Stakes looks a seriously good race with some potentially exciting prospects but is hard to call.
All eyes are on Cadillac in the Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes who was ultra-impressive on his debut over this course and distance, scoring by nine lengths from a subsequent winner.
However, at odds-on I’m prepared to take him on and if he’s a superstar then fair enough but I like MASEN each-way. He’s a well-touted son of Kingman, owned by Juddmonte, who travelled extremely well through the race on debut here.
He looked set to win well but in the end only won by a head, a distance which suggests he somewhat fell in. But I think it was a combination of greenness and loneliness in front and I really liked how he went on the bridle for a long way. He’ll do for me.
Galway wasn’t a great week for the column, it was more misses than hits, but I put QAABIL up there. He was eventually beaten 14 lengths but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He was going extremely well and got checked badly at a crucial stage.
I’m prepared to forgive him that and can’t let him run in the Holden Plant Rentals Handicap at 8/1 given his good draw in seven on a more conventional track.
I was quite keen on Wyett Earp in the Leopardstown Handicap but the price has gone. He was a 16/1 chance but is now into about 7s now and has stall 15 to contend with. I’m prepared to let him run.
The closing Leopardstown Club 30 Handicap is a very good race. Peregrine Run makes his handicap debut on the flat after the ground went against him in the Galway Plate and The Mouse Doctor is interesting for Tony Martin.
But SHANROE is the stand-out for me from a mark of 82. He’s very progressive, winning three bumpers before doing well to win on the flat at Limerick. He had to switch at the furlong pole and had two or three lengths to make up on the leaders but got there in the final strides.
The form is strong with runner-up Rasiym winning over hurdles at Kilbeggan next time and third home Rayounpour landing successive premier handicaps at Cork and the Curragh.
You can put a line through his defeat over hurdles at Cork last time, he was dropped in off a very slow pace and never had a chance of getting to the winner.
He has a big weight but will have no problems carrying it, stall six is a good draw and he could be one for the likes of the Cesarewitch moving forward.
Posted at 1130 BST on 06/08/20
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