Tipperary Tuesday 1st June

It is an absolute pleasure to be coming on board the WhichBookie team as a Horse Racing analyst. Hopefully, I will be able to provide a couple of winners in the blogs that I will be putting up in the coming weeks and months.

My name is Andrew Blair White and I’m from Dublin. Having followed Horse Racing intently for the last number of years, I will be providing previews, tips and some ante-post selections for the big festivals coming up this summer.

Today, there is a packed schedule of racing throughout the whole of England, but I will be keeping my attention on the flat card at Tipperary in the South of Ireland. The eight-race card is not of premium quality racing, but there are some interesting maidens and handicaps to get stuck into.

Throughout the day, I am particularly keen on two Jessica Harrington trained horses, who despite not being massive prices, will have very good chances in the 5f maiden (6.10) and in the mile and a half maiden (8.10) respectively.

The first of these is Roses Blue (5/1), who has probably underachieved after an incredibly promising early-season debut last year. She found herself just two lengths behind More Beautiful on that occasion, which looked strong form, but it obviously has not been completely straightforward since then. She bombed on her second 2YO start at Down Royal which can be forgiven. She has returned this year with two more positive efforts when beaten just a length at Dundalk over 6f and third in a 5f maiden at Cork three weeks ago.

Those efforts have given her an official rating of 77, which is by no means something to run scared of in an Irish maiden, but given the quality of opposition today – gives a robustness that might be worth siding with. There are obvious dangers in the form of Blue Planet, who didn’t build on a promising debut run last time, and Swift Flight for Ken Condon, who perhaps would want a slightly stiffer 5f than this. All is in place for Roses Blue to run a very good race, and get off the mark on the fifth occasion. At a general price of 5/1, I think she should go close.

However, my NAP of today comes in the final race on the card, in the shape of Pappina (9/2). For the same trainer and jockey combination of Roses Blue, Harrington and Foley have a great chance of getting this filly off the mark at the second time of asking – after a very promising first run at Gowran Park. She was slowly away that day, and it felt like things were happening a little too fast for the majority of proceedings. She plugged on for second place and steps up another two furlongs in trip today.

The form of that Gowran Park race is mixed, with the winner and fourth running solid races since, while the third disappointed on poor ground next time. This doesn’t look the strongest of maidens on paper and the Gowran Park form sets a fair standard. Father’s Day for Aidan O’Brien is a potential threat, as he was well fancied at the Curragh on his first start, but was disappointing. You couldn’t rule out massive improvement from an O’Brien horse at this stage of his career, but it would take a leap of faith to go in again on him at such a short price.

I will be taking him on with Pappina, who at a price of 9/2 with Betvictor, is a solid alternative who should be right there at the business end of the night cap. Best of Luck.