There are few more respected amateur riders in the National Hunt sphere than Derek O’Connor and he’s every bit as capable as the professionals. He has won plenty of big prizes over the years, on both sides of the Irish Sea. The top jockey has only had one previous ride on the Flat in Britain but that is set to change on Thursday. O’Connor heads over to Haydock to ride one for Tony Martin so we’re going to assess the horse’s chances. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
Pralognan is a useful performer across both codes and has three wins to his name. Consistency probably isn’t his forte but the six-year-old is more than capable when on a going day. The son of Dabirsim was a winner over hurdles in June and followed up on the Flat at Newcastle after that.
Midfield in the early stages of that race, Jim Crowley began to make smooth progress aboard the gelding with a couple of furlongs to go. He hit the front with a furlong to go and kept on well to score by half-a-length. Tony Martin’s gelding struggled over 1m6f at the Galway Festival next time.
This sort of trip may well be more suitable, especially as he races off the same mark as when winning at Newcastle. You couldn’t ask for a more experienced jockey and the vastly experienced rider can take full advantage.
O’Connor’s only other Flat ride in Britain came aboard Hollywood Road in the 2017 Amateurs’ Derby Handicap at Epsom. He could only manage third that day but Pralognan will have every chance of getting the job done with him on board here.
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