Saturday 22 July 2017

Murtagh’s Claim Could Be Key For Pindaric

I was bitterly disappointed with Street Poet’s run for us earlier, but the writing was on the wall a furlong into the race. As I outlined in my blog post I was hoping that he might be held up, but Tom Eaves and Herrington had other ideas and sent him straight to the front. He travelled well for a long way but ultimately faded badly late on. He is going to pop up at a big price at some stage, but unfortunately it wasn’t today.
Connor Murtagh is a star in waiting.
On Sunday I am going to back one for small stakes at Redcar and it is another son of Poet’s Voice I am interested in. Pindaric is a well named 3yo trained by Yorkshire based Alan Lockwood and I think the step up to 9f combined with Connor Murtagh’s 7lb claim could see this gelding take a big step forward. He started out in handicaps off a mark of 64, and after three runs this season it has tumbled to 54.  

He has been beaten a total of 32L in those three runs, but his seasonal debut at Beverly (7f gd/fm) wasn’t completely devoid of promise. He was given plenty to do by Cam Hardie that day and while he was 10L behind the easy winner he was just over 2L behind the horses that filled the places. The way he stayed on that day suggested a step up in trip would suit as he was doing all his best work at the finish.

His three previous visits to Redcar, in 2yo maidens over 6f and 7f weren’t complete disasters either, and he finished in close proximity to plenty of future winners when 7th of 16 on his final 2yo run. He was only 2L behind Peaceful Passage and he has since scored off 73, and the horse in 5th, Pincheck, was a maiden winner next time and is now rated in the 80s. Power Power, a head behind Pindaric, has gone close in handicap company off 67 so, in hindsight, that wasn’t a bad run at all.

It is also interesting that Pindaric was sent off at big prices on his first two starts this season, but last time at Wetherby (8f soft) he was well backed and started at just 13/2. I don’t think he liked the easy underfoot conditions though, and he could only manage 5th, a good 8L behind the 3rd placed horse. The good to firm ground at Redcar tomorrow should be more to his liking, and I think the trip of 9f could be just what the doctor ordered too.

He has had just one run at further than 9f, on his second run of the season, over 10f at Beverley and he seemed to fade badly inside the final furlong after making ground from the rear. Judging by that effort 9f could prove to be his optimum trip. Poet’s Voice has a good strike rate with his progeny at 7-9f, 27%. His offspring are also usually most effective on quick ground, with 16 of 91 winning for a strike rate of 18%.

The booking of young Connor Murtagh has to be viewed as a huge positive and he is a jockey to keep on your side. He has had an outstanding year so far and he has ridden 13 winners already in his first season. He has also had 31 places from a total of 134 rides and he has ridden a winner at Redcar so he knows how to get the job done around here. He takes off 7lb so Pindaric is effectively 17lb lower than for that eye-catching handicap debut. He has the plum draw in stall 1, I think ground and trip are ideal and at odds of 20/1 Pindaric could go close.


STEVOS’ SELECTION: 15.00-REDCAR-PINDARIC E/W @ 20/1

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