Graham Holland has 13 runners – including most of the kennel stars and the favourite for the big race – on the Boylesports Irish Derby card on Saturday night.
Here is his assessment of each race:
I would have this primarily between two runners. I quite like Glory Gold though I think there is a question mark over whether he will stay the extra yards. So I am going for Cloncunny Boss from trap one. I like the dog, we have run against him on numerous occasions. I think the draw is a big factor and running Cushie Jet to a length is good enough form to win here.
I make this a two-runner contest between one and six. Monbeg Me Daddy is good enough at his best, but the last couple of runs causes me to edge to Blame The Game who is a real good hound.
Boylesports Xtra is the class runner in the race but has been off lame and is not ideally drawn. If he was in red, he would definitely be my selection. So I am edging it towards our own bitch Clona Dream. In fact, the red isn’t her ideal box, she will edge outwards, but she should be value.
At one stage I would probably have gone for Skywalker Wonder in here. He has good early pace but didn’t go quite as well as I expected last week. So I will be going for Elite Black who is running very well without quite seeing out the trip in the Derby. I think this is a slight drop in class.
It has to be Ballyanne Sim who is the classiest act in the race. He is a year older, but the draw is ideal and he is back to his best distance. Of the rest, I would expect a big run from Deadly Storm and I also like Fainne Chiarrai.
I think this could be quite a messy one because Sliabh Liag wants the inside. Our bitch Fahrenheit Lor has ability but can be a bit ‘hit and miss’. So I am going to that very good Munster Oaks winner Grangeview West who is currently in terrific form.
This is a ‘clutching at straw’ contest for me with three dogs in it who could all go close to 28.00 for 525 yards if they get it right at the start. I really like Cushie Jet, though I wonder whether the long campaign has taken the edge off him. A very good dog. Jaytee Tornado could break the track record if getting a clear run. Our bitch Riverside Honey wants further and would be relying on trouble in this company over this distance. So I have to go for the classiest dog in the race, Skywalker Logan.
We have two in here but I am not confident of either getting clear runs given the draw and the quality of the opposition. I think Droopys Pension could lead up on the rail but I quite fancy Deadly Dynamite who is very unlucky not to be in the final. He is on the right side of all the early pace and although he barely gets the 550, he is in great form.
We have three here and I think Blue East has the best chance of the trio and should win it. He has always been a very fast dog but always the luckiest with trap draws. As a younger dog he was also inclined to too excited when he was fresh. He has matured and doesn’t make as many mistakes. Having said that, if Clonbrien Prince was to avoid Manuka Man on the run-up and follow Blue East around the bend, he is more than capable of catching him.
The form is there for everyone to see, Lenson Bocko has a favourite’s chance. I couldn’t be happier with him. He has been galloped twice this week – on his own, rather than with other dogs, for safety’s sake – and has really pleased me. He is a young dog and there is always the concern over the Derby roar, but he is very focused. When he goes racing he means business and I don’t think he will be too fazed by any of it. He has only been beaten once, but I am glad he was, it take the pressure off of trying to go unbeaten, but even then he ran a cracking race behind Magical Bale and Killmacdonnagh. I would expect Bocko and Mucky Brae to dispute the early lead, though I think Bocko has more pace between the two winning lines and I hope he can kick on. I don’t think red is ideal for Kilmacdonnagh as he might have her path cut off by the two on her outside. The other one who is guaranteed a clear run should be Boylesports King. Hopefully we have the pace to beat him.
I think this is all about Wolfe, and whether he traps with the rest of the field. If he does, he will go up straight and then move inside if he is clear. If he doesn’t trap with them, he will follow them to the bend, try to dive inside and get himself into a lot of trouble. The four box isn’t ideal, but he can win from it if he traps. I can imagine there will be trouble anyway because Great Eastern doesn’t want to be drawn red in my opinion. Ballyhimikin Jet and Jaytee Taylor went out in the same Derby heat. I thought Jet was desperately unlucky in that he tangled collided about three times with Winetavern Don when in a great position to qualify before it ended with a car crash at the third bend. I have kept Jet off since but he has worked well at home and is well capable of giving any of them a race with a clear run.
Slippy Cian was caught out in his Derby heat by all the early pace, he was in against Magical Bale and Droopys Pension and was turned sideways at the first bend. The extra yards to the bend will suit him and he won’t be fazed by trap four, he used to be a middle runner. I think he can win this.
Like Slippy Cian, Lenson Blinder was caught out by it being such an early paced Derby this year. Even when he has been beaten, he has run really well but the line has come too soon. He was actually better suited to Nottingham, which runs like a Shelbourne 600. He is the class act in the race with 32.09 winning form and is my NAP of the night.
