Horsebetting.com give their Irish Champions Weekend day 1 betting tips from Leopardstown on Saturday, 15 September. Heading those are Rostropovich in the 1m 4f Group 3 Paddy’s Rewards Club Stakes as our NAP for the eight-race card. Also fancied is Pincheck in the 1m Group 2 Boomerang Stakes after scoring over course and distance last time out. Tornado Watch, meanwhile, is each-way value in the Pentingo Premier Handicap over 1m 5f. Learn all about these horses in our Leopardstown betting tips for September 15.Rostropovich can cash-in and land Leopardstown RewardsThe supporting card on day one of Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown is packed full of quality races. Among those is a 1m 4f Paddy’s Rewards Club Stakes (16:55), a Group 3 for three-year-olds in which Irish Derby runner-up Rostropovich holds leading claims of victory now eased significantly in grade.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, this son of Frankel has won three of his 11 starts under rules and placed on another four occasions. After landing the Listed extended 1m 2f Dee Stakes at Chester by 3 1/4 lengths on his second start of the season, he was sent over to France for the Prix du Jockey Club but found soft ground not to his tastes.
Rostropovich relished the return to a sounder surface and step up to the 1m 4f of this when a late running on second behind St Leger hope Old Persian in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. He then put a career best effort in off the back of that when battling when headed after leading from the front and going down half-a-length to Latrobe in the Irish Derby.
Having reversed the King Edward form on Old Persian in that Classic run, connections then sent Rostropovich back to Ascot for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes where he took a keen hold and set a strong pace that just couldn’t be maintained. He’s had a break since which looks a smart move.
This is a substantial ease in grade from those top Group 1 contests and Rostropovich’s exploits at that elite level have earned him an official mark of 113. It gives him 5lb and upwards clear of his six rivals on ratings; so, with in-form Donnacha O’Brien back in the saddle, that gives him leading claims of getting an overdue victory.Pincheck the Boomerang puntIt’s been a decade since trainer Jessica Harrington last landed the 1m Group 2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes (18:00), but her four-year-old gelding Pincheck looks worth a punt in this year’s renewal after progressing throughout the campaign. This son of Invincible Spirit has won two of his four starts over course and distance, including in commanding fashion in a Group 3 last time out.
Softer ground didn’t suit on his first two starts of the season, but Pincheck was then far from disgraced when giving 13lb to Zibha and beaten just 1 1/2 lengths. Although then beaten three lengths off level weights by another who re-opposes here in Making Light in a Listed affair at Cork, he then turned the tables on Zibha when scoring over course and distance in the Desmond Stakes on 10lb better terms.
Pincheck settled behind the leader and was second at halfway, before taking closer order and leading before the two marker. He was ridden clear inside the final furlong and scored easily by 3 1/4 lengths from Masaarr with the re-opposing Zorion half-a-length further behind in third.
Although Making Light is 3lb better off at the weights, Dermot Weld is in poor form and Harrington saddles Irish Champions Weekend banker Alpha Centauri in the previous race. Colm O’Donoghue rides both the star filly and Pincheck, so the latter is taken to secure a quick-fire double for connections among our Leopardstown betting tips for September 15.Tornado Watch each-way value in PentingoIn the 1m 5f Pentingo Premier Handicap (15:50) earlier on the card, Tornado Watch is one of two interesting runners for Emmet Mullins and could be worth an each-way punt based on an unlucky run in a similar race at the Galway Festival. This nine-year-old gelding is surprisingly lightly-raced for his age and was runner-up to subsequent Irish Derby winner Latrobe in a Curragh maiden in June after winning two handicap hurdles.
Tornado Watch was also second on his next two outings before encountering trouble in-running in the Guinness Premier Handicap at a key stage. He stayed on into a moderate seventh, however, and beaten 10 1/2 lengths by Nessun Dorma.
The re-opposing Limini, who gave Tornado Watch 8lb and beat him nine lengths in third now must try and confirm that form off a further 9lb worse terms; so, surely with 5lb claimer Sean Davis – among the winners of late – on board taking even more weight off, he should get closer to the mare. It makes this veteran look well-weighted to turn the tables despite being the oldest in the line-up.
Another plus is Tornado Watch has come out and finally broken the maiden tag on the Flat in a 2m race at Tramore. He was then put up 6lb by the assessor for that half-a-length victory, but is now back down to a mark of 81 – the rating he won off – after weakening to finish an eight-length 10th of level over the same trip last time out.
Dropping back in distance and granted better luck in-running than the Guinness, Tornado Watch is big each-way value at the odds on offer. For that reason, we are putting him up among our Leopardstown betting tips for September 15.Your Next Bet
