Tips for today

Bellewstown - Wednesday

Lyons and Keane to bag Bellewstown brace

Meath duo Ger Lyons and champion jockey Colin Keane are the men to follow at the opening session of the four-day July festival at Bellewstown this evening where racing begins at 5.30. 

Artistic Melody landed her second career success when scoring for the pair over a trip close to this at Limerick and looks the one in the d Hotel Handicap. A winner at Killarney this time last year, she won in great style 12 days ago and is only 4lbs higher in the handicap as she reappears. 

The Lyons-trained Poetic Light won his maiden at the August meeting here last year and could be set to win over the same distance in the McCabes Mitsubishi Handicap. He ran well when fourth to Meagher’s Flag over an extra furlong and a half at Gowran Park a month ago and should be a match for Iron Blue which tops the weights after her recent win over seven furlongs at the County Kilkenny venue. 

Tom McCourt trains closer to the track and might also give the locals something to cheer about in the Gabriel Howard Memorial Handicap which is set to feature a full field of 16 runners. Stamp Of Authority was running for the first time since January when runner-up to Musical Jewel at Sligo two weeks ago and might not need to improve all that much to land the spoils from a favourable draw.  

The opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Median Auction Maiden might well fall to Derby winning trainer Joseph O'Brien who sends out the Limerick third Syrena. At much shorter prices, Captain Vancouver should take all the beating in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction whileChateau La Fleur can put a thoroughly disappointing debut at Dundalk in March behind her to win the concluding Hilltown Fillies Maiden for Dermot Weld. 

Selections: 5.30 Syrena; 6.00 Captain Vancouver; 6.30 Artistic Melody (NAP); 7.00 Minnie Dahill; 7.30 Poetic Light; 8.00 Stamp Of Authority; 8.30 Chateau La Fleur. 

Bellewstown - Thursday

Turasoir to take competitive Bellewstown handicap

Turasoir takes her chance is easily the most open race of this evening’s session at Bellewstown but she might well be the answer to the Urban Life Handicap at 7.05.

John Nicholson’s five-year-old was a winner over hurdles on good ground at Ballinrobe at the end of May and she was possibly a little unlucky not to score over a furlong further than this at Leopardstown last time where a wide draw did her no favours. She has no such problem here and is just preferred to Match My Fire. Touch Of Gold is in season and misses out.  

Abstraction chased home the much-improved Soffia at Down Royal two weeks ago and it would be no surprise to see him go a place better in the Indaver Ireland Handicap. He is without a win for over five years but can make all the running to land this for Natalia Lupini.

The Collierstown Fillies Handicap is another good race and here the Fozzy Stack-trainedQueen Rabab might well add to recent wins at Dundalk in May and at Limerick last month. She ran well under a fixed penalty at Naas just two days after her Limerick success and will take all the beating.

The locals had a good night here on Wednesday and Mick Mulvaney can keep the flag flying for Meath-based trainers with Passing Trade in the Lougher Stables Handicap. She just lost out at Roscommon last time and might be suited by this drop back in trip.

Selections: 5.30 Isle Of Innisfree; 6.05 Abstraction; 6.35 Baliyad; 7.05 Turasoir (NAP); 7.40 Queen Rahab; 8.15 Passing Trade; 8.40 Batts Rock.