Saturday's Irish Angle: Five picks across Navan and Cheltenham
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Our Irish expert has had his head in the form book to pick out his three best bets for Friday's action at Navan, as well as two at Cheltenham, live on Racing TV.
What a day, what a weekend, what a wedding!
Ever graced the dreaded "singles' table"? It can go one of two or many ways, the table awash with characters; some with great futures behind them, some having gone the wrong way in life and probably to the bar.
Navan's day one feels like that. Mighty Park? We all remember his brother, who was a bit mad, and also he bombed at Cheltenham in March, but we'll give him doubt's benefit.
The Yellow Clay, where has it all gone wrong? Majborough! Where do we begin?
And the best-named of all – Wingmen – who looked a star at this meeting two years ago and is zero from 11 since.
And we have Cheltenham, where Dan Skelton bids to enhance his insane strike-rate this season. Let's be 'avin you.
12.27 Navan: Macshadow Des Crai
Ian Donoghue paid £25,000 for this horse out of Nicky Henderson's, which is a reasonable sum of money given his profile.
He started life at the Galway Festival, sent off 14-1 and having a somewhat wide trip on good ground, beaten under two lengths in a big field. It was encouraging. That is fairly strong form and he is only four, with Donoghue clearly likely to target his local festival and having again booked Jack Kennedy.
His price of 5-1 (four each-way places) looks a bet, for all that there are plenty lurking as dangers.
12.35 Cheltenham: Our Soldier
The Cork National is not the race it was but he excelled himself given his inexperience.
Stamina is one of his main attributes so this track could be ideal and he has plenty of room for more progress at 8-1 off what is a reasonable rating given his Irish one (and hurdles form, as he was not a natural hurdler).
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1.02 Navan: Blue Train
By Blue Point, he should not really stay, but he landed a bit of a punt three hurdle runs back, since which time he has done little wrong and he took the eye for his ultra-shrewd trainer at Galway.
The ground ought to be perfect and he should only be improving with age given his size, with 11-2 (five places) nice.
1.10 Cheltenham: Admiral Will Brown
It is difficult to compare the main horses' form here but this guy looked like he loved hurdling at Down Royal, beating a hotpot easily, and he was slightly out to his left at his hurdles, so there are plenty of positives here in a cracking race at an each-way price even though the excellent Josh Williams cannot claim.
1.35 Navan: Joe Cool
This is a trappy renewal and all the more intriguing for how hard it is to call.
It is all about the price.
Local hero Noel Meade, fresh from his 3000th winner, has a chance with Joe Cool, who looks big at 25s. His Flat form is really encouraging coming here, he's unbeaten over hurdles, his race-fit and has his ground, so he has plenty going for him.
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