Killarney – Friday 15th July

It was a turn of fortunes we needed last night and hopefully the sign of things to come for the remainder of this month as the big gamble on Zoffanian proved to be correct as he ended up winning very snugly at Killarney having been backed into favoritism. Killarney is moving onto its final day today and I am hoping that this second jumps card on the trot can provide some more luck. 

Starting off with the 2.50 race, which is a 2m1f handicap hurdle for horses rated between 80-102 and this typically low grade affair is open to potential improvers off lowly marks. The horse that stands on top of that list is the Tony Martin trained My Boy Bob, who will hopefully be the second winner for these connections throughout the week. This horse has shaped very well in two handicaps to date and I would be disappointed if this horse was not a winner in waiting at some stage very soon. He got slightly bogged down in the ground last time out and has been given plenty of time to come back from that effort and put in a better effort this time around. At a price of 9/2 with Bet365, who are offering 5 places, he looks a very good each way bet. 

The 4.00 at Killarney looks like another tough race and this handicap hurdle over 2m4f is a competitive one and one of the better races on the card. I quite like an unfancied one in this race, with Joseph O’Brien’s trained runner Slige Dala. He has shown up to be a good hurdler in the past and despite a poor year last season over the big sticks, he returns back to hurdles off a workable mark if at his best. He has come to Killarney twice in his life and posted a good win and second, so he clearly does well at the course, and his last good run over hurdles came off this mark. At a price of 20/1 with Sky Bet, who are offering 4 places, he should be backed.

And finally the 4.35, is the big handicap chase of the day and this 2m1f contest has only attracted seven runners, which is a bit of a shame for some each way punters. I am still going to delve into that market though and I like the look of bottom weight Ferdia in this race, who has been running very well in defeat for John Ryan and looks like another win should be coming soon. I am hoping that is the case, as he has been running above his mark the last few times, and it has been unchanged, with Phillip Donovan taking five off in the saddle as well. At a price of 11/2 with Bet365, I am taking my chances each way.