Sunday's Irish Cesarewitch is one of the big betting races this weekend and Billy Nash fancies Joseph O'Brien and JP McManus to team up to good effect.
Timeform's Irish handicapper and analyst is sweet on the claims of Comfort Zone ahead of the valuable two-mile contest at the Curragh, won in dramatic circumstances last year by the three-year-old Mr Waterville, who came from the clouds to justify 5/1 favouritism under Wayne Lordan.
Mr Waterville's trainer Aidan O'Brien still has Tower Of London in the shake-up and he's the general 7/1 market leader on the back of his St Leger fourth at Doncaster last Saturday but Nash, speaking on this week's Sporting Life Racing Podcast, prefers the claims of Comfort Zone at 16/1.
He said: "There may be some big sprints at Ayr and Newbury but it's all about the stayers in Ireland this weekend and Sunday's Irish Cesarewitch (4.10) looks an absolute cracker.
"Top of the betting, interestingly, is Tower Of London who of course finished fourth in the St Leger - like all good each-way selections of mine seem to finish - but he had a hard race at Doncaster and it's going to be a big ask for him to bounce back in a really, really competitive handicap.
"He'd be running off a mark of 112 and there's very few renewals of the Irish Cesarewitche won from marks higher than 100, so it'll be difficult if he turns up. I'm assuming he might, it's a very valuable race.
"Also towards the top of the betting are the likes of Teed Up and Brazil, they're both horses who were in great form at Galway and they'll go there with chances on Sunday.
"Echoes In Rain was the horse just touched off in the race last year and she ran a cracker in a mile and a half Listed race in Galway, so she seems to be coming back into form. Fran Berry was on the Podcast a couple of weeks ago and he mentioned Dawn Rising, who is in there towards the top of the weights, having finished third in the Irish St Leger recenrtly.
"A really interesting British contender that I think has a live chance is Novel Legend of James Fanshawe's. He's a three-time winner and has only gone up a pound for his win at Goodwood the other day. He goes on most type of ground, he stays really well to so he ticks a lot of boxes.
"But I've had a few quid each-way on Comfort Zone, who is still quite a big price.
"He's a horse of Joseph O'Brien's who was a very good juvenile hurdler last season. I thought he ran a cracker at Leopardstown when second in the 'Petingo' Handicap at the Champions Festival (replay below). He finished second, didn't get the clearest of passages and was running on really well at the line.
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"He's not guaranteed to get two miles on the Flat but the way that he ran at Leopardstown suggests it's going to be well within his compass. He'll strip fitter here and he looks like a horse who has been laid out for it.
"I'm hoping he squeezes in at the bottom of the weights as (owner) JP McManus also has four or five above him in the weights so if they want to get him in I think they will. He's got a great squeak."
Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield reports support for Comfort Zone and the Noel Meade-trained Jesse Evans in the race, saying: “The Irish Cesarewitch market is heating up with both Comfort Zone and Jesse Evans attracting supporters.
"The latter has run well all season, including when justifying favouritism at Killarney last time, while Comfort Zone made a taking return to the track after a fair lay off when runner-up at Leopardstown recently and should relish the step up in trip."
Friends Of The Curragh Irish Cesarewitch
Paddy Power: 7 Tower Of London, 8 Teed Up, 9 Brazil, Echoes In Rain, 10 Chally Chute, Dawn Rising, My Mate Mozzie, 12 Jesse Evans, Novel Legend, St Vincents Garden, 14 HMS Seahorse, Mon Coeur, The Very Man, 16 Comfort Zone, Jackfinbar, Lot Of Joy, Nusret, 20 Falcon Eight, Final Gesture, Library, Maze Runner, Mt Leinster, Sionnach Eile, The Shunter, 25 Almuhit, Crack The Sky, Drop The Anchor, M C Muldoon, Merlin Giant, Pinot Gris, Powerful Aggie, Stratum, Sunchart, Sundial, Weston, Whiskey Sour, 33 Hippodrome, Immelmann, La Hacienda, Magellan Strait, Realism, 40 Dartan, Mr Escobar, 50 Aurora Princess, Common Practice, En Or, Legendary Day, Morph Speed, 66 Female Soldier, Flamborough, Joupe, Sheishybrid, 100 Never Do Nothing
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