CARMAC KING FOR MORE THAN A DAY!

2-5 ARSENAL SIMPLY MUST WIN AT UNITED

THE SEMI-FINALS of the €7,500 Champion 550 take place at Shelbourne Park tonight with the Owen McKenna-trained Carmac King looking to win a fourth race in a row.

This talented son of Droopys Sydney/Peters Queen clocked a stunning 29.47 in the opening round after a quick start from trap five. He wears the orange jacket again in race 11, with win number nine likely.

He faces another heat winner in

Syd Zafiro, who is his kennelmate. Owned by Peter Comerford, this son of Derby champion Susie Sapphire dug deep to win coming from behind last week in 29.46, the fastest clock of the night.

He chased down trap six here Tarsna Maasai for Geoff Parnaby, who could set the pace again.

Heat winner Swords Hero races from trap one for trainer Graham Holland and Barbara Lowndes.

It was great to see him return to winning ways in 29.58 after a 3.44 sectional, so this is going to be a cracking race.

Con & Annie Kirby Memorial finalist Scooby Pacemaker finished strong last week behind Syd Zafiro with trap three to suit while Shaun Conway’s Noirs Ben will need an electric start from four.

It’s highly competitive — but I will side with Carmac King, who I think is perfectly drawn.

The opening semi-final is just as competitive, with Maireads Prince in trap six the one I fancy.

Trained by the great Fraser Black, this son of Droopys Sydney/Clona Skye ran a cracker to finish second to Carmac King in the opening round, with only two lengths between them.

Owned by Joe Horan, Maireads Prince showed powerful pace down the back straight but ran wide off the last bend, which gave Carmac King the upper hand.

The Sporting Press Irish Oaks is just around the corner and we will see the fastest ladies in the country battle it out. Some are getting in their prep runs before the big classic, with Crafty Bondi one to keep an eye on in race seven from trap five.

This lady was outstanding in the Brownstown Tango Unraced stake at Newbridge in March, clocking fast times — including 28.34 for the 525 yards. She had to come from behind too, so there is a big engine there.

The Irish Oaks will have bundles of early pace but the likes of Crafty Bondi could be a good eachway wager. She looks the one to land the spoils here, with Beretta Reba in trap three a danger. Bredas Wood in four is a fast lady but may need the run.

Trinity Junior will be fancied to get back to winning ways in the finale for Peter Cronin.

He is four in September but has a lot of ability and this Champion Stakes winner ran very well in the TIME Select Stakes final.

Trap two will suit him with recent winner Honey Sky one to watch for young trainer Michael Donnelly.

Curraheen Park hosts the Spring Derby A2 final worth €7,500 and at Kilcohan Park we have the opening round of The DG Foods Ltd A4 TriDistance worth €5,000.

We also have the Clonbrien Treaty Limerick Oaks final at Limerick worth €4,000 with a line up including Puppy Oaks winner Ballymac Danica, who broke the track record at Limerick recently, in 27.83 for the 525 yards.

She is fancied — but Short Grip, in trap four, ran a huge race last week when winning in 28.13 for Patrick John Cocoman.

SHELBOURNE PARK

Race 6 – Trap 2 Miss Mini Holly Race 7 – Trap 5 Crafty Bondi Race 8 – Trap 4 Rathdown Molly Race 10 – Trap 6 Maireads Prince Race 11 – Trap 5 Carmac King Race 12 – Trap 2 Trinity Junior LIMERICK

Race 10 – Trap 4 Short Grip CURRAHEEN PARK

Race 9 – Trap 1 Katsumoto

Pace

THE TIME IS NOW: Daniel Farke brings Leeds to Norwich

ARSENAL love a good win at Old Trafford, especially if there is a title up for grabs and you’d think this is a good time to play Manchester United — maybe.

Secretly, though, you do have to wonder if Arsenal would rather face a United side in slightly better form, as losing to them tomorrow would be a horrible way to cough up the title.

Conspiracy theorists may feel the last thing United would want to do is help their noisy neighbours out by beating Arsenal, but I think fans of the Old Trafford club would probably see the Gunners as bigger rivals for them.

There’s been some cracking scraps between these two in Manchester, sometimes literally.

Hopefully there is no outbreak of fisticuffs tomorrow.

Arsenal have won four in a row since exiting the Champions League and apart from a bit of a scare in the north London derby, they have been solid in defence.

United could not be accused of being solid, with 14 goals conceded in the last six games; they’ll be slightly embarrassed, but not surprised, that their opponents are 2-5 to win.

It’s got to be Arsenal, there is just no other result I can see, even on the road. The Gunners deserve to be top of the league going into this penultimate round of games.

I will go with the 6-4 that is on offer for Arsenal to win but both teams to score.

The pressure ought to be already on the Gunners with the blue half of Manchester heading to Fulham this lunchtime for what should be a winnable contest.

Boost

In fact City will be chasing a real boost to their goal difference with this visit to west London.

With Fulham safe for some time now there is nothing in it for them and I don’t see them being any real threat to City today.

This might be one of those games where the side expected to