22nd-Apr-2019

I am backing Sizing Rome here.  It is a pity in one sense that Young Paddymc has come out of the race, because Sizing Rome was a 6/1 shot earlier with Tom Gibney’s horse in.  That said, I had Young Paddymc as the main danger, so it is still worth backing Sizing Rome at 9/2 or 4/1.

An impressive winner of an ordinary enough handicap chase at Punchestown in October, Jim Dreaper’s horse ran a cracker in the Cork National next time to finish fourth, despite not enjoying an ideal passage through the race.

Given a nice break after that, he returned at Thurles four weeks ago and he put up a good performance to win a two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase.  He was weak in the market that day, and he was competing over a distance that was short of his optimum, but he battled on well to win well.

The handicapper raised him by 9lb for that win to a mark of 125, but that was his first run after a break of 139 days, and he was weak in the market, so it is reasonable to expect that he will progress from that.  Also, he is only seven, he has plenty of scope for further progression as a staying chaser.

He should appreciate the step back up to three miles today, and the cheekpieces that were discarded last time remain off.  He goes well on good ground, and the excellent Keith Donoghue, who rode him for the first time last time, retains the ride.

He has never run at Fairyhouse, but he goes well right-handed.  There are lots of positives.

Young Paddymc would have been a player, he stayed on well to win at Punchestown on his penultimate run, and he ran well in defeat behind Scoir Mear at Navan last time, and his defection removes the main danger in my book.

SIZING ROME WON (ADV 9/2, SP 4/1)