Wexford Races: preview and tips for Wednesday’s seven-race card

The Summer jumps season continues apace in Ireland this week and Wexford Racecourse hosts its latest card on Wednesday evening ahead of a break at the track until July 13…

The seven-race card gets underway at 5.30 on Wednesday with a ten-runner hurdle contest over the 2m1f trip and rounds off three hours later at 8.30 as 13 runners tackle the Flat race over the 2m4f distance.

The opener (5.30) sees three-time hurdles winner Feet Of A Dancer land a third in her strongest race yet in a Listed contest at Leopardstown in February and is taken to make it four victories stepping back down in trip in the 2m1f hurdle for trainer Philip Nolan. The powerhouse duo of jockey Rachael Blackmore and trainer Henry De Bromhead have The Short Go in race one, who landed a debut beginners’ chase at Clonmel in September when last seen and off an absence here, is a major player.

Race two (6.00) is a big field of 17 runners for the division one handicap hurdle and Tingarran Express looks the one to beat, with only one win from 23 runs but was a strong second in a handicap contest at Clonmel 13 days ago and well clear of the field, so should go well again. Toon Town is among the best of the rest, a third of 11 at this course 11 days ago for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The third race of the Wednesday card arrives at 6.30 with handicap newcomer Glasgow Dan taken to score and improve to get their first win in the division two handicap hurdle over the 2m1f distance. The Shark Hanlon-trained Mullins Cross should also be bang in there, fifth of 11 in a Downpatrick handicap hurdle 19 days ago and looks a type for improvement.

Cut The Rope goes back hurdling for trainer Nolan and looks the one to beat in race four at 7.00, with 11 runners set to tackle the BoyleSports maiden hurdle. De Bromhead and Blackmore team up again in this one with Marv Michael, quickly turned out having finished fourth in a Ballinrobe novice hurdle at the weekend, while Innatendue is another who can go well in lesser company here having gone close at Ayr last time out.

Antrim Coast is the pick on form in race five of the Wexford card (7.30), the eight-runner 3m hurdle contest. The Gavin Cromwell-trained six-year-old was a good third at Punchestown last month and is back up in trip here, setting the standard ahead of Rocky’s Diamond for Declan Queally, a winner of a 16-runner juvenile hurdle at Limerick last time out.

The penultimate race of Wexford’s Wednesday card sees another big field of 17 head to the start for the three-mile handicap hurdle (8.00) for horses four and older. Flicker Of Hope is a promising sort, scoring a career-best when landing a 13-runner handicap hurdle at Clonmel a fortnight ago last time out and is very much in the frame again. Recent Wexford winner Plain Or Battered provides the main threat, arriving off the back of a wine at Wexford’s last meeting 11 days ago.

The card comes to a close with the Flat race at 8.30 and Dacman makes plenty of appeal on paper, being a half-brother to the very smart grade one winner Sir Gerhard and, for racing smarts, being from the Willie Mullins stable, his runner is always worth backing in an end-of-card bumper.