The draw bias here is more dictated by pace and getting a nice position I think rather than anything discernable about the actual Course configuration.

 

Hale Bopp is a worthy favourite but at the price it does have a bit to find with one of my selections. Crystal Black makes seasonal debut for Dermot Weld and may now be better at 10 furlongs and will surely come on for this run. Others who may just need this seasonal debut are Bucky Larson who is on a Course and Distance winning mark , Longbourn is back after 212 days and also one to keep an eye on down the line after this run. A couple who caught my eye who I will add to my Tracker as they can win small races like this are Ferrybank and Disco Boots, I think Ferrybank just needs a bit of help from the handicapper and possibly 7 furlongs and Disco Boots just needs to find the right handicap mark after a decent Maiden win.

 

At bigger prices RANSOM is most intriguing. An ex Micheal Stoute inmate who won off marks in mid 80's as a juvenile but not yet settled in for Dennis Hogan. It has though only had 3 runs and one on AW and one in a far deeper and better race at The Curragh may not yet have shown its true level here in Ireland. This is far more realistic and the booking of Mark Enright a positive, I'll have a small shrapnel bet. That means I just left ZEPHRON off a reduced mark and having had a run, a horse that looks ready for a mile now and he'll be my reserve and just missed the cut.

 

The pair I like the most though are RIVER DERWENT who was runner up on seasonal debut , gets an ideal trip here off anice mark and it's hard to make or find any excuses why it should be in contention. COINS CROSS has been very consistent of late 3rd and 4th in big fields, the only niggle is that it is consistently a placed horse and not maybe won as many as it could have (1 career win) but impossible not to invest in it here.

 

TIP - River Derwent / Tracker - Coins Cross / Shrapnel - Ransom (reserve if any n/r - Zephron).