Listowel selections Monday 20th September
The Lartigue Hurdle is the first of the really big races at Listowel this week and we have two suggestions for this big field handicap.
Listowel 3.50: Autumn Evening & Coventry
Two against the field for this line up of 4yo hurdlers.
JP McManus has three fancied runners but we are taking him on, firstly with AUTUMN EVENING. Jessie Harrington is having an incredible run with 18 winners in the past fortnight at a strike rate of 29%. He made a winning debut over the hurdles at Cork in December, Flying Scotsman being 12l back in third. Whilst he did not win after that he competed to a decent level in good novice contests including a fifth in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown.
We did not see him after a slightly below par effort at Naas, suggesting something might have been amiss that day. However he has had a recent runout on the flat at Tramore last month, which should have put him spot on for today. He is essentially a flat bred type being a son of top miler Tamayuz, so it looks interesting he runs on quicker ground for the first time over jumps – this might turn out to be a big positive and place a greater emphasis on his speed.
COVENTRY is the alternative. He showed nothing in two runs on the flat for Aidan O’Brien, but showed an immediate aptitude for jumping when second at 50/1 at Punchestown on New Years Eve. A faller next time, he made no mistake at Navan in March when winning his maiden. He could not cope with Grade 2 opposition at Fairyhouse next time, but he should be very competitive in handicaps. His second here on the flat to My Sister Sarah on similar ground reads well, and he was only beaten 6l at the Galway Festival on ground probably softer than ideal.
An opening mark of 121 looks fair.
Recommended bets:
1pt each-way – Autumn Evening – 3.50 Listowel – 18/1 general (Skybet 1/5 odds 1st 6)
0.5pts each-way – Coventry – 3.50 Listowel – 18/1 general (Skybet 1/5 odds 1st 6)
