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Curragh top betting tip: Loveday geared up for Rockingham sprint success

Power Under Me ridden by Colin Keane (centre) on their way to winning the Hatstone Solicitors Waterford Testimonial Stakes at Curragh racecourse

While the Irish Derby takes centre stage at the Curragh, Tipstrr racing pundit Steve Jones has cast his eye on the preceding race, where he expects Loveday to perform well in the Rockingham Handicap.

15:00 Curragh: Dubai Duty Free Rockingham Handicap (5 furlongs)

Willie McCreery's four-year-old filly looks an attractive prospect with the visor returned at the same venue where it produced a jolt of improvement to finish runner-up in a Listed contest over today's distance two years ago, when she employed an effective front-running approach.

The in-running comments for the last four winners of this prize have been: 'pressed leaders', 'made virtually all', 'led and disputed', 'soon led and made rest'.
There were three other front-running winners and two front-running runners-up in the previous six years, so this prestigious handicap has really favoured the most potent early pace.

Loveday arrives here on the back of a good run at Down Royal, where she finished within a length or so of the winner of a five-furlong handicap (on good).

Planet Sport Bet: Money Back if 2nd to SP Favourite in all ITV Races
Prominent-running tactics were again employed that time, and she ran very well on what was only her second run of this season- she now looks to be peaking again and this race has surely been a target for her.
She is attractively treated off 83, which is 10 pounds lower than she was at this time last year, when her final run saw her beaten just half a length in finishing third of 17 in a big-field five-furlong handicap at Naas, which is another track with a testing uphill finish.
After only two runs this season, she is now six pounds lower, and this combination of conditions is proven to suit her. If the visor produces an extra boost, as it did when she first wore it (over this trip), then she is set for a bold, prominent-running display towards the far side from stall 6.

(For any each-way punters out there, most bookies are paying out on five places, with some covering as many as six, so it's worth shopping around for the best terms.)

Suggested bet: Loveday in the 15:00 at the Curragh

Of the others, the Lambourn raider, Came From The Dark could also go very well under these conditions.

Ed Walker's seven-year-old was once rated as high as 108, but his mark has plummeted in morerecent times and he comes here off a mark of just 89.
Next best bet: Came From The Dark in the 15:00 at the Curragh
Just a few weeks ago, he produced his best effort for quite some time over five furlongs at Newmarket, and his seasonal debut run the previous month saw him finish third of 13 in the Class 2 Scottish Sprint Cup at Musselburgh, a handicap in which he ran off 97.
Now eight pounds lower and having shown definite signs of a revival this season, it is easy to see why his connections have brought him over for a crack at this valuable handicap.
READ MORE: Sunday ITV Racing Tips: Best bets for the Curragh, Cartmel and Uttoxeter

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