Sunday Service: Irish Raider Ready to Strike at
The withdrawal of the morning favourite, Duchess (FR), has blown this Class 6 handicap wide open. What was a competitive heat is now a tactical puzzle, and the answer lies with the raider from across the Irish Sea.
The Pace Picture: A Walk in the Park?
With Duchess out, the pace map has been scrubbed clean. The 11-year-old veteran Busby (6) is now the only natural front-runner in the field. He’s likely to get an uncontested lead and will try to stack them up and turn this into a sprint from the two-furlong pole.
This lack of pace is a disaster for hold-up horses like Violeta (4) who need a collapse to run at. It plays right into the hands of those who can sit handy or have a superior turn of foot.
The Selection: Yquem (9)
John O’Donoghue sends Yquem (IRE) over from County Kildare, and she looks primed to strike off a basement mark of 46.
Her recent spin at Dundalk (30th Jan) tells the story. Over 10½f, she was doing all her best work at the finish, staying on into 5th in a competitive 14-runner field. That run screamed “step me up in trip,” and she gets exactly that today with the extra two furlongs.
She’s a 4-year-old filly with scope for improvement facing a field of exposed, declining handicappers. If Oisin McSweeney keeps her within striking distance of the slow pace, she has the engine to mow them down.
The Danger: Tupero (2)
David O’Meara is the master of the “gear change” improvement. Tupero gets first-time cheekpieces and a tongue tie today, a classic O’Meara move.
Forget his last run over 2 miles; he didn’t stay. He travelled well until the stamina ran out. Dropping back to 1m 4½f is perfect, and from Stall 3, he should sit right on Busby’s tail. He’s the clear threat.
The Verdict
The race shape has gifted Busby a soft lead, but his 11-year-old legs will likely struggle to fend off the younger challengers in the final furlong.
YQUEM is the one with the upside. The trip is right, the mark is right, and the Irish form is stronger than this Class 6 UK dross.
Win: #9 YQUEM (IRE)
Exacta: 9-2 (Yquem to beat Tupero)