8.30pm Leopardstown Tips & Betting Preview 22/06/2017

Just the eight runners for this six furlong sprint but it’s a really tasty little contest. Read on for our runner by runner preview and tip for the 8.30pm at Leopardstown on Thursday night.

IN SUMMARY: Plenty in this race who can be given a case of sorts, with both Solar Halo and Little Clarinet striking as fillies who are well capable of winning from this mark, but both may need an extra furlong to be seen at their very best. As so many Dermot Weld horses are, Hunaina is likely to be well supported, sporting the colours of the Aga Khan, but the fitting of a hood could be the making of MEETYOUATTHEMOON. Her dam is a full sister to crack miler Soviet Song and with plenty of speed on her sire side, she looks open to further improvement with a stiff six furlongs likely to prove her optimum trip for now.

1 SOLAR HALO – Filly is much improved since going handicapping, getting up on the line to win over this trip at the Curragh before a solid third from this mark at Fairyhouse last time. She has only run five times so is certainly open to some more improvement but with her dam a half sister to Derby winner Kris Kin and a full sister to Grand National runner up Cause Of Causes, it’s a surprise she has as much speed as she does.

2 A LITTLE BIT ME – Showed very little in maidens, but has been a different proposition since going handicapping. She won at Cork over this trip on similarly quick ground before absolutely running riot in a seven furlong handicap at Listowel. She has been hit hard by the handicapper for that nine length win, raised a massive twenty one pounds which makes it hard to do anything but watch her.

3 RED SABOR – Has shown his very best form on turf so far with a lot more cut in the ground than he is going to get here. Twice a winner off 80, this mark of 82 shouldn’t be beyond him but on the quickest ground he has encountered, he is difficult to support.

4 HUNAINA – Broke a frustrating run of four runner up efforts in a row when landing a maiden at Dundalk, breaking her duck at the sixth attempt. Like so many from the Dermot Weld yard, her form so far in 2017 has not been at the level where connections would like it to be and the suspicion remains that the minimum trip suits her better, especially on a stiff track such as this.

5 LITTLE CLARINET – Possibly in need of her return this season, taking her form to a new level the last twice. She rattled home to grab third over this trip at the Curragh before again running third, over a mile at the same track. She looks from those efforts that seven furlongs is probably going to be the trip that suits her the best but with Red Sabor likely to go hard from the front, she may find the contest run to suit. Looks to have solid each way claims.

6 MEETYOUATTHEMOON – Sports a first time hood, having pulled too hard last time out and spoiling her chance over seven furlongs at Limerick. That was a decent contest where she travelled with purpose before fading out of it. A stiff six furlongs may well be perfect for her and if the hood has the desired effect and allows her to maintain enough energy to see out the contest a little better, she looks massively overpriced and well worth the support.

7 BRAVE DISPLAY – Has run well all four starts on turf since landing a Dundalk handicap but has always found at least one too good. That remains the only win of his career and the suspicion is that although he is likely to run another solid race, he is probably still a couple of pounds too high in the weighs when trying to compete at this level.

8 BUDDHA BOY – Strikes as a similar type to Brave Display, with just a single win to his credit on the all weather, running with credit since. Four pounds out the handicap does nothing to help his task at this level so despite the fact that he is probably capable of being competitive from a similar mark to this, it is likely to be in a lesser grade that he gets his head back in front again.