Listowel & Warwick – Tuesday 21st September

The Listowel Harvest Festival is always one of the feature events of the late summer in Ireland and for the first time this year, we are going to see action on the flat from Listowel – with an interesting eight race card. It should be noted that the ground is ever changing and with the current ground at yielding, it is a sign of the unpredictability attached to it. One must look for versatile types as a result, and with two selections I feel I have found that balance, I have also found a few horses at shorter prices to be interested in over at Warwick.

No better place to start in Listowel than the 4.37, which is the feature 1m1f Listed Contest and has attracted a good field of 11 to the post. This looks a prize opportunity for the in-form Roca Roma to go and get a Listed win under her belt after she arrives here in excellent recent form. Her second behind Pearls Galore at Tipperary looked like decent form but was further advertised by that fillies near miss in the Matron Stakes on Champions Weekend. At Tipperary, over a trip perhaps slightly inadequate, Roca Roma found herself in early trouble before making tremendous late gains down the outside to mow all bar one down. She had previously won a rated contest at Killarney and despite being filly who doesn’t want to arrive in front too soon, she should have a massive chance in this. At a general price of 2/1, I will take that chance. 

The concluding race at Listowel is the 5.40, 1m Handicap. A horse that has looked heavily overpriced throughout this morning for this race is Soaring Monarch, who is now coming in for some money after the market has begun to correct itself. Early prices this morning at around the 10/1 mark were off the mark in my opinion, as especially in this sort of ground and given he has dropped a few pounds, must have a massive chance in this contest from the box draw in 1. His win earlier this season at Roscommon, alongside a string of consistent efforts at this time of the year last year would indicate that a mark of 88 won’t be beyond reach. At a price of 7/1 with Ladbrokes for 4 places, I’ll be backing him each way.

At Warwick, the first race to look at is the opener on the card and 2.10 novice hurdle over 2m. This sees an interesting Irish bumper recruit, Cobblers Dream make his debut over flights for the Ben Case team. This horse has a likeable profile, but I am more drawn to All Clenched Up who should be well suited by this return to 2 miles for Paddy Brennan and Fergal O’Brien. Having won very impressively two starts back, this horse was badly disappointing at Sedgefield last time out and will be a lot more at home back in this sort of contest. Given he brings the proven form to the table, I’ll be siding with him at 2/1.

The final selection from today comes in the 3.55 at Warwick, which is a 3m1f Handicap Chase and it is brilliant to see these sorts of races back in the calendar now for the remainder of the winter months. There are few finer sights than horses jumping the fences down the back straight in quick succession at Warwick. I am hoping that Irish Prophecy can roll back to some of his best form in this race as the top weight certainly brings the class angle to the table. He was deadly on this sort of ground around this time last year and despite a few underwhelming recent efforts, could go well in this sort of contest. Off a rating of 140, there should be possibilities for this horse and brings a classiness to the race that the others do not have. At a best price of 10/1 with Paddy Power, for unfortunately just the two places, I’ll be backing each way,