Fran Berry Irish racing tips for Sunday's meeting at the Curragh

Recommended bets, Sunday October 11

1pt e.w. April Showers in 2.40 Curragh at 6/1

2pts win Up Helly Aa in 3.10 Curragh at 7/2

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It was great to put up the winner of the Dewurst on Saturday and it's a race I've gone back and watched a time or two since.

I suppose as we got nearer to the race it became quite clear the Irish two-year-old form was being favoured in the market and that did really make a lot of sense as Chindit's form from Doncaster tied in with one of Joseph O'Brien's called State Of Rest who wouldn't be near the pick of the bunch in Ireland.

So it proved in the end with the National Stakes principals dominating the finish and St Mark's Basilica was very good. He got a very good ride on the track, he was clearly improving as he went and he looks a proper horse for next year.

I suppose Thunder Moon might have learnt more yesterday from either of his two previous races and I think he's very much still a work in progress. He's a miler in the making but whether he's a proper Rowley Mile horse I don't know and maybe more one for the Curragh in the spring all being well. He's still exciting.

He might be the one to take from the race but Wembley was good in defeat again and Cadillac probably needs a mile now. For me he's shaping a bit like a horse I'd maybe train for a Derby trial or something but I suppose we may see him, plus Wembley or one or two others, again this year at the Breeders' Cup.

Willie Mullins pulled off the big Cesarewitch double last year and goes into the Curragh today seeking to repeat the feat following Great White Shark's ultimately impressive win at Newmarket.

Royal Illusion won the Irish version in 2019 and is back for another crack with a good chance while Charles Byrnes' Run For Mary seems to be well fancied. Personally, I think it's a race that could throw up a surprise and although Shoshone Warrior and Centroid came closest to making the staking plan, even with the extra places on offer I've no strong view on it, won't be having a bet so won't be tipping anything here.

One that people are obviously picking up on today is that Colin Keane has three rides for Aidan O'Brien including Shoshone Warrior, plus a couple of nice looking two-year-olds. It could be significant in some respects but there are a number of factors at play in that Seamie Heffernan is suspened and Wayne Lordan is injured.

The whole team of fit O'Brien riders is involved today but if you're looking for a jockey who is riding winners regularly and he is available then Keane's the man to go to and he's going to be putting himself in the shop window to a degree.

It's an interesting dynamic as he's only had the one run for the yard before (0-1) so it could be a big day for him, you never really know but it's one to watch and see if anything further develops from it I suppose.

As for the bets today, the Staffordstown Stud Stakes is a mile Listed race for fillies on the round track and it's quite competitive. I am a fan of Earth Strike and she could go well at a price but I was quite taken by APRIL SHOWERS and the way she won at Navan.

She is learning on the job and the key to her chances today is that she appeared to find the extra gear on the soft ground and she'll handle it really well today. She's had three runs now but I still think she's open to a lot of improvement and if she can pick up a good position which she should from stall six then she looks the each-way value.

My strongest fancy, though, comes in the Novi IT Services International Stakes, a Group Three over 10 furlongs. UP HELLY AA is very interesting dropping back to this trip. He featured in my 30 to follow we compiled during lockdown and trainer Willie McCreery said that it would be an autumn campaign for this horse.

He did very well first time when beaten in a head-bob over a mile on heavy ground before stepping up to a mile and a half at Leopardstown. Tiger Moth was a wide-margin winner that day but Up Helly Aa was a creditable third from a wide trip and it was another very good run giving all those three-year-olds 11lb, especially when you look at the favourite as the Melbourne Cup market leader.

Dropping back to 10 furlongs looks absolutely perfect now with the weight-for-age reduced to 4lb here and the 7/2 looks worth a good bet.

Posted at 1040 BST on 11/10/20

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