BEST of the BETS

Bet #123 - 2:30 Thurles - The Banger Doyle @ 9/2

The Banger Doyle returns to hurdles for first time in just over a year. He has improved since going chasing and finished 3rd of 5 in a Grade 3 novice at Roscommon on 2nd last run. As a result he now has possibility of exploiting a favourable hurdles mark, his hurdles rating being 24 lbs lower than his chase mark. Although he failed to win in 7 tries over hurdles, he did make the frame in 3 of the 4 hurdles races he contested between 2 mile 3 and 2 mile 6, so the hurdles form is not too bad.

Both his wins have come over shorter but does stay this far as above efforts show, his half-brother Sebastopol, who is a lot more talented, has won over both hurdles and fences around this distance so I don't think distance is a problem.

Trainer John Queally doesn't often revert to hurdles with winning chasers, in recent years he has done it only with 2 horses over 6 runs, and won with one of these, Pat Coyne (6/1) also for same owner, earlier this year. Pat Coyne was running off 30 lbs lower hurdles mark, and interestingly also had today's jockey Aidan Kelly claiming another 7 lbs. Kelly claims 5 today, and his record for trainer is 2 from 5.

I am hoping he will run well today, only worry I have is that his chance looks too obvious and as a result he may get overbet.