Group race in Ireland

The best race in Britain and Ireland today is the Group Three event for fillies over 9 furlongs at 16.45 CET at Gowran Park. All the top Irish trainers are represented - O´Brien, Weld, Bolger, Wachman - but we think that the 3 Britsh runners might come out on top. Andromeda Galaxy (Sir Henry Cecil/ Tom Queally), having his run for this trainer, and Beatrice Aurore (John Dunlop/ Johnny Murtagh), owned by ABBA star Benny Andersson, are the only 4y´s in the field, but both must have good prospects. John Dunlop recently announced his retirement and since then his horses have been running out of their skin. The third British runner Momentary (Michael Bell/ Joseph O´Brien) is owned by tjhe Queen, but on form is the third choice. Best of the Irish is probably the very consistent Caponata (Dermot Weld/ Pat Smullen). Goiwran stages a mixed card, with the first 3 races over hurdles and all with large fields; Blazing Tempo (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh), from a team already in top form, c an take the mares hurdle at 16.15.

Hamilton stages the only flat racing in the U.K. and after all the rain in Scotland, the going will be very testing. William Buick is rarely seen at this track but looks the jockey to follow. He has one ride for his boss John Gosden, Gregorian in the conditions race at 16.20, who looks unbeatable but will also start at an unbackable price. Buick has also picked up 3 more rides, all of them with good chances; James Fanshawe´ s Catwalk in the fillies handicap at 17.20 is probably the best of them.

The going will be on the firm side at the two British jumps meetings. At Uttexeter the handicap chase over 2 miles 5 furlongs at 16.40 looks very open; our two main fancies are top-weight Peachy Moment (Nicky Richards/ Brian Harding) and Pigeon Island (Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies), who has been dropped in the ratings after some poorish efforts on soft ground.

The handicap hurdle at 17.00 at Plumpton is another tricky race, with most of the runners in good form. Our tentative suggestion is Taste the Wine (Bernard Llewellyn/ Robert Williams), who has been running consistently both over hurdles and on the flat.