Clonmel Oil Chase Tips: One to chase Allaho home
Although just four are set to take their chance in the prestigious Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase on Thursday, National Hunt fans on both sides of the Irish Sea will be glued to the television hoping to answer a simple question: has Allaho still got it? We've seen plenty of brilliant horses have some time off and need their first run back, but this Closutton legend and two time Ryanair hero is favourite for the race once again this year, so needs to return with a bit of a bang to make that pricing look justified.
Billy Grimshaw thinks he should get the job done, but has spotted a discrepancy in the pricing in behind the Cheveley Park-owned jolly...
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Make no mistake about it, even Allaho at 75% should be winning this race as he likes. It is hard to overstate just how impressive Willie Mullins' two time Cheltenham winner has been throughout his career so far, with time bandits waxing lyrical about the manner he destroyed the Ryanair field in both 2021 and 2022. With the fullness of time, we can now see how impressive he was in going stride for stride for so long in the three mile novice at the Festival with a certain Minella Indo, who would next year go on to claim the Gold Cup.
Allaho is born to race over two-and-a-half, but has such latent talent he can do a job at two or even over a sharp three miles. The trouble with those wishing to steam into him here is the price. 1/3 for a horse that has been off for 561 days is not for me, and despite my faith in Willie Mullins' ability to bring the horse back at an acceptable level, even if he is shown to improve bundles for this run in time, I am inclined to look elsewhere for value.
To be clear, I will not be taking Allaho on and expect him to win, hopefully with a back to his best blitz which will set tails wagging for the rest of his season. If any emerge I could not put anyone off the enhanced double for him to claim this race and the Ryanair, as with any win he will surely shorten up once more for his target. Indeed, if the shock does occur and he loses, unless its an out of the back of the telly job I'd be happy enough to back him for the Ryanair at the inevitably bigger price that bookies may offer.
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Onto the methodology to attack this race then, and there are a myriad of options for punters depending on their preferred betting style but my recommendation is to back FRENCH DYNAMITE in the side markets. As the race approaches more and more of these should appear, but at the time of writing I am surprised to see he is quoted half a point bigger than Janadil at 5/1 as the third favourite.
Bettors can back French Dynamite in a match up with the Mullins second string if they wish, or simply in the without Allaho markets when they emerge. They can even play the forecast of Allaho-French Dynamite, but however you do it I am convinced the Mouse Morris horse is the one to be on in comparison the the JP McManus owned Janadil. Looking back through the latter's form, it reads F71PUF, and although he was one of my stronger each-way picks at last year's festival I am increasingly concerned his best days are well and truly behind him.
Obviously following the brilliant win in the Charlie Hall Chase of Gentlemansgame, the Mouse Morris stable will be bouncing and while Willie Mullins' operation is a juggernaut that keeps on rolling regardless, French Dynamite at eight surely has more upside than Janadil. Even in last season's Ryanair, it is French Dynamite that finished in fourth while Janadil laboured into seventh.
Darragh O'Keefe takes the ride and is a jockey bang in form right now, and on rewatching French Dynamite's last run which on paper is disappointing (28L behind Pic D'Orhy at Aintree), the shuddering mistake he made two out robbed him of many lengths and he would certainly have finished closer without this error. His fourth in the Ryanair was a fair performance, as was pushing an on song Fakir D'Oudairies at Thurles in January and to my eye he is a much more solid proposition than Janadil here.
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