Irish racing tips: Tony Keenan preview and best bets for the Curragh

Irish racing tips: Saturday August 10

0.5pt e.w Genesis in the 5.10 at the Curragh at 50/1 (General - 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)

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The Curragh hosts the first of four August Saturday meetings today, with the ground likely to ride on the fast side, the track doing some selective watering in the last few days, the forecast for a dry and warm day.

That fast ground is a little worry for the favourite Whistlejacket in the featured Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at 4:35 as he was beaten on good-firm at Royal Ascot and the way he hung at Newmarket last time while showing knee action might suggest an ease suits best.

Bits and pieces of cases can be made for Babouche and Shadow Army being overpriced. Ballydoyle looked to run the Anglesey against Babouche last time and she was still able to beat the colts while showing a good attitude though the substance of the form is questionable.

Shadow Army was another Royal meeting disappointment in the Windsor Castle but may have found the trip too sharp and ran much better upped to six furlongs in the Prix Robert Papin last time, shaping like he could or even should have won after breaking slowly. The cheekpieces are on in an attempt to sharpen him up.

The other Group race on the card is the FBD Hotels and Resorts Heritage Hotel Phoenix Sprint Stakes at 3:25 and is set for export like many races of its type in Ireland.

Electric Storm would be my lean for a yard that does well with improving fillies and she has come a long way in a short space of time, her trainer saying that she only started taking training properly since the middle of last summer.

Since then she has won three times and been second twice, the most recent of those seconds coming at Deauville when narrowly beaten by Shouldvebeenaring, a race she could have won had she not been forced to come from behind and make her challenge up the middle of the track alone.

The Sheehy Motors Cupra Handicap (5:10) is one of the more interesting betting races on the card with a number of five-furlong types stepping up in trip and my idea was to look for something with more relative stamina, preferably drawn high where most of the pace seems to be, and with racing today on the near side track it could be an advantage to get that stands side rail.

GENESIS in stall 19 fits the bill. He only started racing back in January but has built up a decent level of experience, getting in six starts thus far, and is interesting on his handicap debut.

He put in a pair of good efforts at Dundalk in March over six furlongs, initially winning a weak maiden well before putting up a better run when second in a conditions race, going down narrowly to the now 105-rated Jakajaro off level weights.

Getting a small break after that run, connections opted to go for a Listed race next time despite his mark being just 82, but he ran well enough to finish fifth of five in the Owenstown Stud Stakes at Naas over seven furlongs, involved in the race until halfway up the straight over a trip that seems to stretch him, the form working out afterwards, the winner winning two Group 3s since, the third winning a Listed race next time.

He had a trainer change after that run and his sole run since came after another short break at Limerick where he over-raced and went much too hard in front over an extended six furlongs, lasting much longer than other front-runner in the race but ultimately beaten a long way.

In the hope that some of the freshness will be gone after that run, those tactics should be easier to execute down in trip and grade from the highest draw of all in stall 19, and hopefully himself and Charlisse in stall 17 (who is not without a chance herself) and get away well and make it a test for some of the speedier types.

Preview posted at 0830 BST on 10/08/2024

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