RACING:SCOTTISH BOOGIE has been a clear ante-post market leader all week in the lead-up to today's €100,000 Boylesports Hurdle but will have to fight race statistics as well as 29 opponents at Leopardstown.
Under its various guises over the years, this is a handicap that has continually seen huge gambles broken asunder and it will be a worrying fact for Scottish Boogie supporters that only one outright favourite in the last decade has managed to win.
Nevertheless he has been the sole single-figure priced horse in the betting with bookmakers taking no chances on a horse owned by Patrick Wilmott and trained by Charles Byrnes.
Third to Cass Bligh and Citizenship here over Christmas, it’s hard to see how Scottish Boogie might be so superior to so many and taking the value each-way option instead might be the best course to take. It requires a leap of faith to pin your hopes to a horse that hasn’t run over hurles in over two and a half years and who has a dismal record of falls over fences since then.
However, Colm Murphy is such a shrewd trainer it looks significant that he brings Zaarito back to flights and on a rating a full stone and a half lower than he had on his last start over fences.
Jessica Harrington won this race with Studmaster half a dozen years ago and Citizenship looks to hold a decent shout. The worry though is that Harrington hasn’t had a winner since Christmas.
Today’s other handicap feature at the start of the newly-rejigged January Jumping Weekend is the Leopardstown Chase where the novice Gran Torino could prove too good to his seniors.
Stephanie Kate will be a dangerous opponent but doesn’t win very often and Gran Torino looked to win a decent novice event at Down Royal on St Stephen’s Day. Just five line up for the Grade Two novice chase and while Cheltenham may not be on Hidden Cyclone’s agenda he can prove himself one of this country’s top young chasers.
Hidden Cyclone was impressive on his course debut a month ago while his big rival today Sir Des Champs looked fortunate to score at Limerick when Knockfierna ran out at the second last.
Competitive Edge ran into a good one here at Christmas when runner up to Make Your Mark but can go one better in the maiden hurdle.
