Eastern Rules

30th-Jun-2013

I thought that Eastern Rules would have been clear favourite for this, and he is worth backing at 7/1.

This is a really competitive handicap, but Eastern Rules is in the form of his life, and this is his trip. He did win over a mile at Dundalk twice, but he was out-stayed by He’s Got Rhythm over a mile on his penultimate run there, and his best run on the Polytrack was on his latest run there in early May, when he was produced with a well-timed run by Conor Hoban over seven furlongs to win going away. The runner-up Daliyan came out and won at Limerick on his next run.

He did run a big race over a mile at The Curragh on his latest start on Guineas weekend. He travelled well in behind, he was probably travelling better than any of his rivals at the two-furlong pole, and he did pick up nicely when Hoban asked him to, but his run flattened out inside the final furlong. That performance confirmed the suspicion that seven furlongs is probably his optimum trip.

He was drawn one from the outside that day in stall 20, he is much better-drawn today in stall five. Also, Shane Foley rode his stable companion Danzerini, who finished a half a length in front of him in third place that day, presumably because Michael Halford wanted Conor Hoban to claim 3lb off him, off top weight. Foley is back on board today, which is a positive. Conor Hoban is a really good apprentice, but Shane Foley is top notch.

He gets to compete off the same mark of 79, and that is a mark off which he can win, especially back down at seven furlongs.

Rain God and So Devoted are dangers, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see another Halford horse Foot Perfect out-run massive odds – she had no luck in-running at The Curragh last time – but Eastern Rules is the bet.

EASTERN RULES WON (ADV 7/1, SP 6/1)

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