Case made for Super Franky

The £24,000 Denny Handicap Chase might appear something of a Galway Plate consolation prize but it might not pay to take the …

The £24,000 Denny Handicap Chase might appear something of a Galway Plate consolation prize but it might not pay to take the Ballybrit result too literally so the top-weight Super Franky is selected to score.

Palette did best of today's field at Galway, winding up a five length third to Dovaly.

However, Super Franky had as convincing a hard luck case as any.

Well backed down to 5 to 1 favourite, Super Franky missed the jump at the start, quickly made up the ground, made some minor mistakes and was done with in the dip. Afterwards the Charles Byrnes-trained moneyspinner was in respiratory distress.

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The drop back to a mile and a half may not be ideal for this staying hurdler but the Tralee ground appears testing enough and Super Franky does have winning course form. He is also comparatively inexperienced so this smaller field should suit.

The Havasnack Race merits a lot of attention especially since the 1999 Galway Plate hero Moscow Express runs in this instead of the Denny.

Moscow Express last ran on the flat when carrying a 70 rating into second behind Near Dunleer at Wexford but he faces a stiff task here against the decent John Oxx runner Gaudi and most dangerous of all, the progressive Ansar.

The ex-Oxx runner won twice for Dermot Weld at the Galway festival including when winning for Kevin O'Ryan off 91 in an amateur flat race. Afterwards Weld forecast a big future for Ansar, something he can start fulfilling today.

Weld also could provide the solution to the mile maiden with Rumours Abound and his Hip Pocket may take the two mile handicap.

In the mile handicap, Outward Bound is selected while Langkawi Island gets the nod in the mile maiden.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column