GO MAD FOR MARY IN CURRAGH CLOSER

15:05 Curragh

With back to back seconds in their last races it’s easy to see why the Dermot Weld trained Ciel D’Afrique is the current favourite but with their being 15 runners you have to look for better value and I hope to have found it in the form of SMILE AT ME. The Joseph O’Brien trained runner claimed an encouraging sixth in a sixteen runner race at Naas on debut. She should have learnt plenty from that recent run and although she finished behind Peckham Springs who reposes today I’m happy to side with the lightly raced filly who hasn’t had as tough a campaign as some of her rivals.

SMILE AT ME

15:40 Curragh

A very competitive one mile handicap is the penultimate race of this eight race card and I’ve plumped for one at a big price that could do much better than the bookies currently predict.

EASTERN RACER has form figures that resemble a far flung phone number bur within that various bits of form he has a very encouraging second over course and distance. He was carrying less weight that day but does hold wins off marks of 82, 80 and 79 in his career to date and comes into this with a rating of 76. He won’t be inconvenienced by the ground and although he’ll need to show much more than he showed last time out is an interesting type at around 40/1.

EASTERN RACER

16:10 Curragh

The final race of the day at Ireland’s premier turf flat course sees me side with a horse who’s recently changed hands and now finds herself under the ownership of Andrew Kinirons. The four year old MARY SALOME has been very poor in her last three starts under her new trainer, beating just ten of her 41 rivals. Never the less looking through her course and distance form makes her very intriguing. She’s lined up at the six furlong start here on five separate occasions and has seen her finish 9th of 14, 3rd of 12, 10th of 24, 5th of 23 and 2nd of 20. Of those five runs her worst two performances (when 9th and 10th) came on good or firmer ground. Whenever there’s been cut in the ground she’s shown much more. She’s 5lbs below her last winning mark and couldn’t be readily discounted at a massive price.

MARY SALOME written by Rory Paddock