MANDOLIN AND GRIP TOP WONDERFUL SPORTING PRESS OAKS ENTRY
Ian Fortune
It will come as no surprise to anyone to see Droopys Mandolin and Short Grip at the head of the betting for the Sporting Press Irish Oaks, which gets underway at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night. Boylesports have installed the duo as their 6-1 joint favourites for glory in the bitch classic and either would be a worthy winner. Of course, both have been performing on the highest stage since the early stages of their career with both tasting big-race glory already.
Droopy Mandolin ended 2023 with a sensational display in the Winter Racing Festival Bitch 525, adding to her RCETS Open Unraced and Fonez Galways Oaks successes. She has yet to race in 2024 but a recent 16.17 trial at Waterford would suggest she will soon be back to her very best.
She faces a tricky opening round assignment but should she produce anything close to her best, the 6-1 on offer for outright success could quickly disappear. She returns to action in Heat 6 where Droopys Edel and Shelbourne 600 runner-up Kyanite Kate stand out as the main dangers.
Short Grip won’t be in action until the final race on Saturday’s card, Heat 10 of the Oaks. She too has shown exceptional ability in her relatively short career, finishing an eye-catching second to Droopys Flytline in the Juvenile Derby and third to Singalong Dolly in the Puppy Oaks late last year, while she recently returned to her sensational best as she emerged a brilliant winner of the Clonbrien Treaty Limerick Oaks.
Next in the market at 10-1 are a trio of top class performers, Select Stakes winner and Easter Cup third Droopys Fidget, Epic Chick and the razor-sharp Rathdown Molly. 2023 Derby finalist and top stayer Threesixfive is on her own at 14-1, while Born To Perform, Select Stakes runner-up A Lucky Julie, Droopys Edel, Lincoln Legacy and Kerogue Lady are next in at 16-1.
There are plenty of talented females on the 20-1 mark including litter sisters Tell On Bell and Picadilly Attic, Velvet Duchess, Droopys Zelda, Sober Sparkle, Deelish Nora, Lets Go Bubbles, Annie On Faya and Glenbervie Pookie. There are ten heats in total on Saturday night. The full Boylesports market can be seen below:
Sporting Press Irish Oaks
Boylesports bet:
6 Short Grip
6 Droopys Mandolin
10 Rathdown Molly
10 Droopys Fidget
10 Epic Chick
14 Threesixfive
16 Born To Perform
16 A Lucky Julie
16 Droopys Edel
16 Lincoln Legacy
16 Kerogue Lady
20 Sober Sparkle
20 Lets Go Bubbles
20 Deelish Nora
20 Velvet Dutchess
20 Piccadilly Attic
20 Annie On Faya
20 Tell On Bella
20 Glenbervie Pooka
20 Droopys Zelda
25 Kyanite Kate
25 Ballymac Wendy
25 Ravenswood Elsie
25 Droopys Kamari
33 Headinthewindow
33 Newport Pier
33 Droopys Have It
33 Arent We All
33 Poets Dawn
33 Barefoot On Song
40 Ballymac Pete
40 Sawdust Storm
40 Beretta Melba
40 Bredas Wood
40 Ballymac Run
40 Fleadh Saraide
50 Is She There
50 Saleen Pearl
50 Beepers Mary
50 Dairyhill Stella
50 Abbeyside Spice
50 Droopys Avatar
50 Sunshine Zoe
50 Highview Treat
50 Beretta Reba
50 Mikeys Millie
50 Mustang Sally
66 Make Me Queen
66 Highview Emer
66 Fleadh Rileigh
66 A Lucky Lady
66 Callaway Annika
100 Olwinn Me
100 Dubious Deluxe
100 Blacknose Erin
100 Russmur Stacey
100 Speed Model
100 Cash Gal
100 Chelsea Pat
200 Coss Holly