DARO TO BELIEVE
Cromwell’s raider can continue her revival at Downpatrick
Soldaro (3.25) was right back to form last time and can go in again on Randox Ulster National Day at Downpatrick.
Gavin Cromwell’s charge hadn’t been showing a lot until that smooth success at Clonmel at the start of this month.
The five-year-old has been brought along steadily and Cromwell will know the right races to put this one into so she can strike again despite a stiff rise in trip.
WA WA (4.00) is the each-way bet in the big race with Dermot McLaughlin having found the key to him again. The gelding has been revitalised by a return to hurdles with easy victories at Navan and Leopardstown and he can make a winning return to fences with his confidence fully restored.
Gordon Elliott teamed up with Michael O’Sullivan to win at the Cheltenham Festival on Jazzy Matty and they can bag the opener with SMOOTH PLAYER (1.40).
ALEXANDROUPOLIS (3.45) can give Aidan O’Brien an amazing 12th victory in the Ballysax Stakes. The three-year-old was a nice winner on his sole outing at Galway and has progressed through the winter.
O’Brien has three in the 1000 Guineas Trial but I’m going for Dermot Weld’s TARAWA (3.10) who won well here late last season.
Weld also has a big shout with Grappa Nonino in the big juvenile hurdle at Ascot but a second chance is given to BAD (3.00).
Ben Pauling’s horse bombed in the Boodles at Cheltenham but the trainer clearly rates him, so an each-way shot is taken.
Doncaster is going to be like a bog and so BERNARDO O’REILLY mudlark (3.20) can repeat last year’s triumph in the sprint.
Bad’ll come good for confident Ben Pauling in Ascot juvenile hurdle showdown