Joe's Saturday Tips - 23 August
The spotlight is on Monmore this evening as a Category One double-header features on a tremendous card at the Wolverhampton track.
Monmore tips for Saturday
Another super Saturday awaits with the finals of the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic and Gold Cup both taking place at Monmore, as well as the second night of first round heats at Shelbourne Park for the Boylesports Irish Derby.
The Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic final over 630m at 8.47pm has thrown up a cracking final, with all five runners shorter than 20/1 at the start of the competition. I am with Vhagar in trap five to give Mark Wallis his 100th Category One title. The draw has worked out favourably for her. albeit connections would have wanted to be drawn inside Clona Ice, but nothing on her outside following the withdrawal of Bombay Nutty gives her a chance to drive the bend. Antigua Kestrel in trap two could spoil the race for New Destiny and Gary The Arb drawn between the pair. He looks odds-on to lead if trapping but is not getting home so if Vhagar can get first run on Clona Ice, then she can get first crack at Antigua Kestrel and catch him in the latter stages.
The following race at 9.04pm is the Ladbrokes Gold Cup Final over 480m with a wide-open affair set to take place, giving a chance to all six runners. Trap six Jacktavern Chief is yet to break but remarkably comes into the final unbeaten after getting up on the line last week to beat Ardera Sam by a short head. Puppy Derby winner Headford Dane and Armagh Daithi were the other two semi-final winners and they line up in traps four and five respectively and both sets of connections will be content with their draws. Pall Mall winner Gingers Prince runs from trap three with Avarua Zlatan in trap two. I am with Jacktavern Chief, who is just one level break away from putting in a huge run. He has the all-round pace to win and if coming away, he can prove too much for his rivals in an open contest.
Also on the card are two other finals, including the Peter Billingham Memorial Trophy for puppies at 7.39pm. Trap four Turnthemagicon looks an extremely smart prospect for Maxine Locke and he should do the business in that final, with trap two Bang On Edith in the Vixons Contract Ltd Trophy Final at 8.31pm fancied to dominate from start to finish. At Shelbourne Park, Locke’s Ballymac Axel, now trained by Murt Leahy, lines up from trap six in heat 23 at 10.08pm. He should comfortably qualify with the first four progressing to next week’s second round.
