Feature Races Tips and Writeups – 16th September 2015

Today’s Feature Race Tips

All live on At The Races

3pm Yarmouth – John Musker Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) – Free Tip: Zamoura at 33/1 EW with PaddyPower – NON RUNNER

3.15pm Listowel – Listowel Stakes (Listed) – Free Tip: Devonshire at 5/2 with Bet365 – WINNER

4.20pm Listowel – Guiness Kerry National – Free Tip: Horendous Hulabaloo at 16/1 EW plus FIVE places paid ONLY at Bet365

Race Previews

3pm Yarmouth – John Musker Fillies’ Stakes (Listed)

An impressive turnout for this midweek fillies and mares Listed race at Yarmouth, as you would hope with a top prize of over £22,000. The current favourite is Speedy Boarding (2/1 best price) who is the one to beat having already won a Listed race at Newbury in June. She ran well in the Irish Oaks to finish 5th but they didn’t finish very strung out and a 6 length defeat probably flatters her, plus she has a 4lb penalty. The second favourite has only run once and runs on significantly harder ground than her debut win, coming off a break here too, 3/1 is far too short for me.

There’s a number of outsiders you can make a solid case for here and the one that caught my eye was Zamoura at 33/1. She has underformed the last twice, but they were very tough races and she was defeated just 6 lengths by Diamondsandrubies in April and that effort can be upgraded as things just didn’t go her way. She’ll want a decent pace to aim at and if that comes then she should bounce back with a good effort on her preferred ground.

3.45pm Listowel – Whelan Memorial Stakes

There are some horses who you can say ‘deserve’ to win a race and Devonshire for me falls into that category. Her record in Stakes races is extremely impressive with 3 seconds and a third from ust 6 starts, including a 2nd in a Group 3 and a 3rd in a Group 1, but she’s not quite managed to get her head in front yet. Her best chance probably came at Killarney in August when she was 2nd in a Listed race when she was narrowly denied by an improver, but this race looks like it has her chance in it. She’s previously run well on Heavy ground and she gets a full 5lb from the second and third favourites and 8lb from Laviniad at 7/1 which should make the difference today.

Of the main dangers, Laviniad didn’t really appear to stay 8 furlongs on Heavy at this same track in May which would make 9 furlongs a worry, Mohaayed comes back off a break with a visor fitted for the first time – the ground isn’t certain to suit and he could well need the run – while Alive Alive Oh hasn’t won for 2 years and while would be right up there without the weight penalty shouldn’t be good enough to overcome the weight difference with the favourite.

4.20pm Listowel – Guiness Kerry National Handicap Chase (Grade A)

A Grade A chase in September is always exciting and the big yards are all represented with (among others) 4 entries for both Gigginstown and J P McManus. It’s no shock to see The Paparrazi Kid as favourite with the fearsome combo on Walsh/Mullins involved but he’s obviously had problems with just two starts since his Grade 2 win in December 2013 so I think there’s better value than the 6/1 available. Old boys Colour Squadron and Cantlow, both owned by the already mentioned J P McManus, are both available at double figure odds (16/1 and 20/1 respectively) but the former hardly looks well handicapped based on his last three runs while the latter just hasn’t been firing recently and age may be catching up with him.

My pick is one of the Gigginstown four – Horendus Hulabaloo is only the third best in the betting of the owners (and wears the yellow cap) but he looks a real exciting recruit to chasing having form figures of 112 on his three starts so far. He was only raised 1lb for a decent second behind Shesaportrait, and Donagh Meyler takes that and an extra 6lb off, and the step up in trip combined with the heavier ground than last time out should suit nicely given he won a 3 mile Point To Point back in 2013 and eaisly won a Chase here on Heavy ground back in June.