Killarney – Sunday 15th May

Sometimes you can be fortunate to miss out on some meetings and that can definitely be said for yesterday’s racing from Wexford. I was contemplating putting a few selections up for the afternoon, and at the last minute decided to sway away from it, and it proved to be the right call – with results tricky to predict. The first race meeting of the summer at Killarney comes at us fast today and I have sided with two selections at each way prices that hopefully can run well. 

Starting off in the 3.30 race, which is the 2m1f Grade B Handicap Hurdle and this looks a good race, as you would come to expect for a race of this nature. There is over 26,000 to the winner, so it is of no surprise to see a good turnout of 16 going to post. It makes it an open each way race, and I am going to be siding with the out of form, but also talented Hannon, who was second in this race last year, and I am hopeful of a similar return to form over a course and distance he enjoys and at a mark we know he can compete off. 

I would not be too concerned by his previous two efforts, which have come under unideal conditions for this horse and have come after a long lay off throughout the winter. He should continue to strip fitter for those runs, and it would be no surprise to see this race being his long term target. Darragh O’Keeffe has built up a good relationship with these Thomas Gibney horses over the last year or so, and he should be able to get a tune out of this top weight to hopefully see him run better than his price would suggest. At a price of 25/1 with Bet365, with 5 places available – he should be backed each way. 

I am going to wait until the next handicap of the card, which is the 5.00 race and is the 2m4f handicap chase. I have managed to procure a few nice priced winners over the last few weeks, and I can only hope that can continue over the course of this month. This handicap chase looks tricky though, and there are plenty in this race that would have some brilliant chances. I am siding with a mare who did me a good turn earlier in the season, and that’s Feyan for the Robert Tyner yard, who unfortunately is coming to the close of his training career. It will be disappointing not trying to pick apart some of Tyner’s plots throughout a season, and this mare won by half the track at Punchestown back in January. 

She has backed up those efforts nicely in recent starts, including when finishing fifth in a mares handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival, and with that effort, she should be able to run well in this field as well. Jack Foley gets back on board and claims a valuable five pounds off her back, which she may need at this stage as a bit of relief from the assessor. That being said, she is currently 8/1 with SkyBet, who are offering 5 places, and she should be backed each way as a result.