Racing tips: Noche Magica could be in a different league to his opposition at The Curragh

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On A Session was clearly well handicapped as expected and he won nicely in the hands of Ben Curtis, landing a bit of a gamble, going off at 7/2.

Curragh 1:50 – Noche Magica 11/8 (3pt B365)

Backing a short-priced favourite for a 2yo race doesn't sound like the best of ideas, but the way Noche Magica won on debut suggested he was a smart horse and one who could be well above average at this time of year.

He glided through the testing ground at Cork like it was nothing, winning by 3.75L. That run recorded an RPR of 93, which is seriously impressive for a 2yo to do that on debut, especially against some horses who already had run and had the experience edge on him. The time of the race seems fairly good with him clocking the same time as a 90-rated 6yo in the race after, and Noche Magica was carrying 7lb more than that horse, so it rates as a very good performance, especially when you consider the elder horse in the race after is much bigger physically and would've been much better mentally as well.

With that being his first start in his career, there's plenty of improvement to come, and fitness might also be better now. Though there are some nice pedigrees in this race and Aidan has one, they'll have to be pretty smart to beat this lad on this ground.

Curragh 3:35 – Clever And Cool 33/1 (0.5pt EW WHill)

Now for my crazy selection, the biggest outsider of the bunch is my fancy for this race and that is Clever And Cool.

This horse has a tendency to break slowly from the gates and is instantly on the back foot, so be aware if you are following me with this selection as it will more than likely happen again. However, this filly has been pitched into two tough races to start this season off and on both occasions, she has been backed in from very big odds into 8/1, that seems a little more than coincidence and it seems that is some confidence that she is doing well at home. Her tendency to break slowly doesn't help her chances, but she stayed on well last time out when finishing 4th/9 behind Tenebrism.

She handles the soft ground, and I think that's a big positive in a race where there are serious question marks over the horses towards the head of the market whether they'll handle the ground. Jim Bolger has opted for the first-time cheekpieces and I think that could unlock something new for Clever And Cool who is clearly a thinker, and that should hopefully help her concentrate and perhaps break from the stalls on terms.

At the prices, I think she is worth a shot, as I don't think this is as strong as some of her previous assignments.

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