Another very intresting weight shift is BYRD IN HAND in the 430 was 5l behind the fav a few weeks back carrying 6lbs more today byrd carries 9lb less so I make that a 15lbs swing for 5l and 8s is huge
Potentially the first signs of a Derby favourite for next year today when OL'MAN RIVER runs for Coolmore and AOB in Curraghs 2.00 maiden opener. He cost €2.75m, is a son of Montjeu out of FINSCEAL BEO (1000 Guineas and multiple Group 1 winner) and is going off evens favourite to slightly odds on right now. However whilst reading through that card there are two I'm looking out for that are a bit left field- TORREY PINES 25/1 e.w from the same stable was considerately handled after his chance had gone last time out and the extra furlong will suit him on breeding today. He is likely to be clued up, front line, and asking horses to pass him if they are good enough to he has prospects of making the frame at nice odds. Heffernan will be positive again on this one I would have thought Then take a look at Charles O'Briens son of Galileo BOTANY BAY- 100/1 (Ladbrokes) and if you get chance just take a glimpse at his debut. He is an absolute bull- he reminds me of when Galileo Rock was a two year old. He was beaten 14 lengths on debut and that explains his price, however he fell out of the stalls, raced in rear all alone but the penny was dropping right at the end of 7f (never going to suit him that short) and he ran on well and they struggled to pull him up past the line, he actually passed all eased down horses. He will be one for a handicap over middle distances if he doesn't show the improvement today, but at 100/1 you havent got to throw a lot at him! The extra furlong and stiff finish will suit- it just depends on how badly outpaced he gets in the early-middle part of the race.
I'm always wary of backing debutants at odds on - espcially when Mr Bolger has an outsider in the race. I've gon each way on Novis Adventurus on the basis that it wouldn't be the first time he prouced the goods at 20/1 or so!
He is 6/4 now OL' MAN RIVER and that could look very in half an hour. Doubled him up today with the highly progressive CARLA BIANCA.
Killer Crow makes his hurdles debut tomorrow in Roscommon. Proper horse, won his last 2 bumpers in a nice manner.
For those National Hunt fans with 5 minutes onn your hands, take a look at the replay of the 5.25 from Wexford yesterday. The 2 mile flat race with only 3 runners initially caught my eye due to the Mullins runner Totally Dominant, running in the Ricci colours, with form reading 22311 prior to yesterday's race, and I was wondering whether this might be one of the ones to keep an eye on this NH season. However, it was Peter Fahey's Alton Bay who ran out a facile winner, despite giving the other 2 runners 11lbs in weight. When Katie Walsh brought the son of Pushkin round the outside on the final bend and asked him to quicken, the response was immediate and he scorched clear to win by 5 lengths easy as you like. In his previous outing on the flat, at Tramore, Alton Bay gave weight and a thrashing to Little King Robin, who has since scored over hurdles and is rated 134 in that sphere. Alton Bay has already won a maiden hurdle by a street at Ballinrobe in July and has gone into my winter notebook as one to follow over hurdles this winter.
Very nice debut from Ol' Man River. Sheikh Hamdan's runner stayed on really nicely for 2nd. Strong-looking maiden.
Brave lad backing Aidan's on debut but well done. Looks like the lads don't spend 3mill lightly. Nice horse. O'Brien trains the first SIX in the antepost betting for next years Derby...
Sugar Hiccup completes a tremendous 46/1 treble for AP at Worcester. 116 and 2 more rides to come today. Awesome.
The man is simply a machine Oddy, the commitment and effort given on his part is hardly believable really, the mental strength he must have to do what he does is hard to describe really, hopefully he does go on to have his best ever season and who would bet against that now?!
I really hope he can keep it going mate - have the feeling he is mopping up relatively weak races at the moment but fair play to AP (and his agent, who must be working his socks off booking all these rides). You've got to be in it to win it, as they say, and he is riding every day of the week at the moment - 5 rides at Huntingdon tomorrow, a blessed day off on Tuesday (thanks to the BHA - if there were a jumps meeting he would no doubt be riding), Southwell on Wednesday, possibly Sedgefield Thursday (wouldn't put it past him to be on the beach at Laytown), another day off on Friday (no jumps racing). Of course, when I say "day off" he'll probably be riding work. Hope he stays injury free and cracks the 300 this season. We'll never see the like again.
