Horsebetting.com provide their Irish Champions Weekend day 2 betting tips from The Curragh on Sunday, 16 September. In the Group 2 Blandford Stakes for fillies and mares over 1m 2f, Eziyra rates our NAP for this eight-race card. Havana Grey is the next best bet in the 5f Group 1 Flying Five Stakes, while fellow British raider Beyond Reason is each-way value for the Moyglare Stud Stakes – a 7f Group 1 test for juvenile fillies. Our Curragh betting tips for September 16 preview has more details.Eziyra the Blandford bet on Irish Champions WeekendThere’s a stellar supporting card at The Curragh on day two of Irish Champions Weekend with two other Group 1 events in addition to long-standing top-class events like the Irish St Leger and the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes. Before all that, the fillies and mares get their chance to shine in the 1m 2f Group 2 Blandford Stakes (14:35) and Eziyra comes out on top on ratings.
Trainer Dermot Weld has won the last two renewals with Shamreen and the race seven times in total. In Eziyra, he has a very smart four-year-old filly also owned by the Aga Khan who doesn’t know how to run a bad race and is eased in grade here after a fine effort when third in the Yorkshire Oaks last time out.
This daughter of Teofilio has never been tried at 10 furlongs before, but has three Group 3 victories over 1m 4f to her name. Eziyra also has a 33 per cent strike rate at this venue, also finished a far from disgraced third in last year’s Irish Oaks to subsequent Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable here.
She followed that Classic place up by winning on soft ground at Cork and another on a yielding surface during Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown 12 months ago. We didn’t see Eziyra on a racecourse for 334 days after that, but she made a victorious return to action at the same venue last month when landing the Ballyroan Stakes easily to bring up the hat-trick.
That demonstrated she retained plenty of ability and connections rightly pitched her back into Group 1 company for the Yorkshire Oaks off the back of such efforts. Giving 9lb to star filly Sea Of Class at the Ebor Festival was always a tough ask, so off those weight-for-age terms Eziyra did really well to finish just over three lengths down on the winner.
This is easier and, with her 3lb and upwards clear of the field on a mark of 111, Eziyra looks a worthy favourite to give 5lb to some inferior looking three-year-olds and beat the others off level weights. She thus rates the NAP among Curragh betting tips for September 16.Havana Grey fancied for Flying Five successFor the first time, the Flying Five Stakes (15:05) holds Group 1 status and the form of another top-class sprint, the Ebor Festival’s Nunthorpe, looks key in finding the winner. Havana Grey was fifth on the Knavesmire last month, but is fancied to do much better on this raid across the Irish Sea for Yorkshire trainer Karl Burke.
This three-year-old grey colt has winning juvenile form on soft ground over the trip which, given there may be some cut in the ground, is a plus. That came in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood where Havana Grey made all and won going away by 1 3/4 lengths.
He backed that up by keeping on gamely to hold second in a juvenile Group 1 in France, and was then a half-a-length runner-up in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster when collared close home. Havana Grey has won one of his five starts this season – the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes over this course and distance.
After tracking the leader, he was produced to lead two out and ridden clear entering the final furlong before staying on well in the closing stage to score by a cosy length from Caspian Prince. Although then a 7 1/2 lengths sixth to top notch sprinter Battaash in the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, Havana Grey improved to just a neck behind that one when a three-length fifth to Alpha Delphini in the Nunthorpe.
In doing so, he reversed Goodwood form with re-opposing veteran Take Cover. On his Nunthorpe run, Havana Grey has nothing to fear from Aidan O’Brien trained duo Sioux Nation and Battle Of Jericho, so rates a solid bet to resume winning ways across the Irish Sea at a venue that clearly suits.Beyond Reason each-way value for MoyglareAnother Group 1 on this outstanding card is the 7f Moyglare Stud Stakes for juvenile fillies. Godolphin owned filly Beyond Reason is one of two eye-catching rides for William Buick and retained trainer Charlie Appleby, so she looks well worth an each-way punt after back-to-back wins in France.
This daughter of dual Derby hero Australia has three victories from five career starts. After going down with a couple of lengths to New Winds on debut at Newmarket over 6f, she could hardly have been more impressive on the all-weather next time out when bolting up by an eased down four lengths.
Beyond Reason was clearly value for much more than the winning margins, but then disappointed on her first try over this trip when a four-length fourth to Arthur Kitt in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. She showed that running to be all wrong, however, and got back on track when sent across the Channel when gamely holding on to land a Group 3 by a nose.
A tilt at the Group 2 Prix du Calvados followed and Beyond Reason was a comfortable three-length winner when sent off favourite and just kept up to her work. You can question what she beat here, but there’s no doubt she handles cut in the ground which is an obvious advantage with more rain forecast before this ran.
With just 1lb to find on top rated course and distance winner Skitter Scatter in what looks a wide-open renewal of the Moyglare, Beyond Reason is well worth an each-way wager at the odds on offer. Her making the frame completes our Curragh betting tips for September 16.Your Next Bet
