Irish horse racing tips: Johnny Ward's bets for the Curragh
By Johnny Ward
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
A strong fancy in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks is among three selections for Irish racing expert Johnny Ward on Saturday. Watch every race from the Curragh live on Racing TV.
It's Juddmonte Irish Oaks Day at the Curragh on Saturday and, unlike Derby day, the weather is likely to be glorious.
There looks to be the proverbial "good thing" in the feature, and the rest of the card has more than enough to keep patrons from gate to wire.
The Curragh is, by a wide margin, Ireland's most modern racing venue, and a cracking day out on a day like this. Every race will also be shown live on Racing TV.
Be lucky.
Johnny Ward
Finished: 1stSP: 10/11
This horse's dam was a Listed winner and out of a winner in Denmark, which may explain the name. More pertinently, he is by Frankel, and could be very smart.
Greenness beat him on debut, but he should have come on loads from that and can get off the mark here.
Johnny Ward
Finished: 1stSP: 5/4
Now Emily Upjohn is a non-runner, this doesn’t look a vintage renewal, with 103 the median rating of those who have a mark, and the anomaly in that regard is the Jessica Harrington-trained filly, Magical Lagoon, who is rated 109.
She looks like she should be an odds-on chance, and it seems bookmakers have somehow not factored in the form of her stable.
When Magical Lagoon won at Ascot, Harrington was going OK. She had a very poor record in April, better in May, and an 11 per cent strike-rate in June, when Ascot took place.
However, she has been operating at a 23 per cent strike-rate this month, and even some of her outsiders have been winning.
Magical Lagoon is very much unexposed over this trip and found loads under pressure in the Ribblesdale last time out. She should enjoy the Curragh in terms of the big, fair and long straight, and she just wins, doesn't she?
Johnny Ward
Finished: 1stSP: 6/1
Extensio is usually ridden by Sylvia O’Donnell, and that is no harm going into a race like this.
The five-year-old finished second to Harry’s Legacy, a winner next time out, at Leopardstown on his latest start and had dropped back to last turning into the straight.
He was ridden with a lot of patience, and it’s amazing he was able to finish second, given the position he came from. He likes it here and has to go close.
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