Today's Pointer - Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial

It’s been frustrating not to be able to get out some blogs and bitterly ironic that just as soon as I go away, all the decent sporting action dries up, so thank god I’ve got two standouts today.

The highlight of Sunday’s racing is Leopardstown, and thankfully with 2 Group 3’s it’s not so much a case of After The Lord Mayor’s show after the quite incredible Dubai World Cup shows last night. What a ride Mirco Demuro gave Vicotire Pisa and what an amazing one-two for the beleaguered nation. On another note, Cape Blanco ran a storming race and has plenty of exciting times ahead of him this season – He could be another Dylan Thomas or dare I say it even better.

Dunboyne Express winning the Anglesey Stakes last year

The Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes (3.00) will be seen as a weak trial by some, a point that will be aimed at many of these races over the coming weeks until the Guineas at Newmarket, but today’s 4 contenders are all useful enough to say the least. I’m very surprised to see the evens still generally available about DUNBOYNE EXPRESS, given the impression he created when beating Master Of Hounds and Roderic O’Connor on debut  before slamming Samuel Morse in the Anglesey Stakes last year. He came out with plenty of credit when fifth behind high class prospects in the Racing Post Trophy, and that defeat was all the more honourable given he’d suffered a interrupted preparation.  He could easily take a hand in the Guineas this season and will be well up to taking this.

Exodus took time to come to hand but he was fourth in the Grand Criterium at the back end of last season and may be a pretty useful horse.  The worry is that he wants a lot further than this trip on yielding ground, not to mention the fact that they just won’t go fast enough for him unless Heffernan rides agressively. The highly touted (at least for today) Cocozza looked a very useful performer in the making last year and is highly liked by many, although just how useful he actually can be is very open to debate, although he’s probably group class anyway. Whipless hasn’t built on a decent first pair of efforts and may be a sitting duck in the straight for the other three if leading.

Advice

4 pts win Dunboyne Express (3.00 Leopardstown, evs Ladbrokes)