Horse Racing Tips: Shackleton can claim big prize at the Curragh

There’s premier raceday action on offer on Sunday and that should keep the party going after Saturday’s Group 1 entertainment. Flat racing takes centre stage, with all four meetings taking place on the level.

The Curragh gets us underway and they have a couple of Group 3s, as well as the Irish Lincoln. Epsom and Ffos Las are next off and Newcastle’s premier nine-race card is the last to kick off. We have three strong fancies to follow across the action on Sunday and they include an Aidan O’Brien-trained outsider in the €600,000 feature race at the Curragh. Check out our Horse Racing Tips below.

14:37 Curragh - Smexy @ 13/2

Ger Lyons currently sits in third place in the Irish Flat Trainers’ Championship, having amassed more than €1,300,000, so victory in this Group 3 event will be most welcome.

SMEXY just failed to hold on to second when thrown into Group 3 company on just her second start at Leopardstown in July. The daughter of Mehmas ran well for a long way but had no chance against impressive winner Composing.

Getting off the mark upon returning to maiden company over this trip last time out, she ran on well after being switched and scored by a head. More will be needed back up in grade, but there’s every chance she’s going the right way and her best form is hard to knock.

This probably isn’t the deepest race for the grade and it looks there for the taking. Lyons’ filly has scope to progress and a big run could be on the cards.

16:22 Curragh - Shackleton @ 22/1

Aidan O’Brien has won the Irish Cesarewitch twice in the last three years and could be set to take it again this year.

There’s a massive prize fund on offer and he is represented by three runners. Wayne Lordan rides SHACKLETON, who has a similar profile to last year’s winner.

The handicapper hasn’t been massively kind by keeping him on a mark of 107, but big weights aren’t an obstacle to winning this race.

He has always looked like a stayer and managed to win his two-year-old maiden over 1m1f last term. Shackleton then finished third in the Zetland Stakes over 1m2f.

Connections have probably been a bit disappointed with him this term, but his close up fourth in the Queen’s Vase is excellent form and he was second to Al Riffa in Group 2 company in July.

This son of Camelot gets a 9lb allowance as a three-year-old and that could make a massive difference here.

16:30 Newcastle - Gran Descans @ 7/2

Harry Charlton is in excellent form at the moment and he’s operating at a strike-rate of 33 per cent in the last fortnight.

Progressive and lightly raced three-year-old GRAN DESCANS could be set for a return to winning ways with that in mind.

Getting off the mark in novice company at Doncaster in July, he followed that up with an impressive win under a penalty at Lingfield and that form has worked out well.

It was a good effort when third here on handicap debut and he would have learnt from the experience.

Charlton’s colt was outstayed in a warm race over 1m6f at Haydock last time out, so the return to a shorter trip looks likely to suit.

The best is almost certainly yet to come in this sphere and a rating of 90 shouldn’t be beyond him.

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Horse Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.