RACING/CLONMEL PREVIEW:AN EARLY feature of the winter campaign so far has been the successful link-up between Barry Geraghty and Edward O'Grady and Tranquil Sea can continue that hot-streak in today's Grade Two feature at Clonmel.
The top-flight performer won last year’s Clonmel Oil Chase before landing the John Durkan and Tranquil Sea is back for another crack at the €45,000 event against three opponents.
With Andrew McNamara no longer O’Grady’s number-one jockey, the Tipperary-based trainer has turned again to Geraghty and they have won with their last three runners, including The Real Article at Down Royal last Friday. Tranquil Sea has a history of getting off the mark on his first start of the season and O’Grady was hopeful yesterday.
“He seems in good form and won this race well last year,” he said. “He’s won first time out the last couple of seasons so we’ll see how we get on. We’ll get this race out of the way before we make any plans for the rest of the season.”
Tranquil Sea’s big danger could be Ruby Walsh’s mount Psycho but he hasn’t impressed in his last two starts. “I blame myself a bit for his last couple of runs as I made some bad decisions. I should never have gone to Galway with him and then I just ran him back too quick in Ballinrobe last time,” trainer Tony Martin said yesterday. “Anyway, he’s had a nice break since and seems in good nick.”
Blazing Tempo is also back for today’s Grade Three mares chase and the Galway Plate heroine should be tough to beat over this track having found Down Royal’s fences tough to negotiate at the weekend when starting favourite in the race won by Kauto Stone.
This is a tough event with some smart types here like For Bill and Shop Dj but Blazing Tempo still sets the standard. “I just hope it doesn’t come too soon after her run the other day. We’re taking a bit of a chance with her in that respect,” Willie Mullins said yesterday. “It looks a good opportunity for her if that race hasn’t taken too much out of her as the conditions of this race suit.”
Mullins also gives Moon Over Mandalay a first start in this afternoon’s bumper and the five-year-old can get the better of Mon Carlos while Texas Jack looks good to get the better of Make A Track in the opening novice.
