Clonmel Through The Card Preview - 24/03/20

The opening race of the day at Clonmel this Tuesday sees 19 go to post for the Money Back On The BoyleSports App Maiden Hurdle and we've taken a liking to the Henry de Bromhead trained FLORRIE WEBB.

A 16 lengths third of 18 on hurdling debut back in July last year, the winner of that race has gone on to win a Grade 3 novice hurdle and 10th in the race has gone on to win a race themselves so the form has worked out.

The two favourites in this race didn't look that great against average opposition last time out and if Florrie progresses from his debut run, he'll be hard to beat here.

In what looks to be a fairly weak maiden hurdle, we're finding it hard to look past favourite COSA BAN.

11th of 25 on hurdling debut, she looked to be in prime position to get off the mark last time out when taking the lead three out but unfortunately fell at the next.

That race showed that she is a winner in waiting and up against a field of this standard, he should have more than enough to break her maiden.

The opening handicap of the day at Clonmel sees the 80-95 rated Extra Places On The BoyleSports App Handicap Hurdle run over two miles.

With a lack of form in the race, we've gone for SHANTOU SISU.

Without a win over hurdles in 15 runs, he has form figures of 243 of late and was unlucky not to win last time out losing out by a short head to Shopping Around at this course earlier this month. Notched up 3lbs from that run, this still looks a healthy mark for him and it'll be no surprise to see him first past the post in this race.

In what looks to be another fairly weak race, there's one horse really standing out to us here and that's the Colin Bowe trained CUSHINSTOWN FINEST.

A promising point to pointer, she failed to live up to expectations over hurdles until breaking her maiden at the fifth time of asking at Downpatrick in September.

She followed that up with am impressive 4th of 15 and then was pushed hard for a 26 lengths 5th of 11 on chase debut earlier this month. That however was her first run in nearly five months and with that experience over the larger obstacles now in the bag, she looks a massive E/W price at 16/1 here.

The main race of the day sees a field of five go to post with Bachasson at the head of the field but we much prefer Gigginstowns DEATH DUTY.

After landing the hat-trick in his first three runs over larger obstacles in 2017, he had a nasty fall in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novices Chase and then had a two year absence due to the injury.

He hasn't been the same since however he was 10th of 23 in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and it's safe to say connections are seeing this as the perfect opportunity to get his career back on track.

The Gordon Elliott Mare ROBIN DEUZ POIS is our pick for the penultimate race of day at Clonmel.

He was an interesting recruit to Gordon Elliott's yard last year after a rather disastrous spell in England with Paul Webber however the risk paid off with the horse FINALLY getting off the mark when holding on nicely at Newcastle a couple of weeks ago.

He does now seem to be in cooler waters in Ireland and a repeat of that Newcastle performance should be enough for him to claim back to back victories.

The Clonmel bumper is renowned for throwing up surprises but we're finding hard to look past Gigginstowns FRONT ASSAULT.

Second on Bumper debut in January, he then finished 6¾ lengths behind eventual Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow at Fairyhouse in February.

This is his first run since then and second in that was has gone on to win next time out too so at opening odds of 7/2, we believe he could be the steal of the day.