On the up

Down to plunder the Orchard

Punting
Michael Duffy

FERMANAGH’S victory over Derry last Saturday night will mean that plenty of Down and Armagh supporters will see next Sunday’s second Ulster semi-final as, effectively, a provincial decider.
Of course we think different (Furlong followers are on Fermanagh at 10s for Ulster) but it means we have a hugely exciting game ahead of us at the weekend. Down have had the better preparation going into this match having had two serious games against Tyrone in the quarter-final.
That will have knocked off any rough edges and they’ll hit the ground running. It may be enough for Ross Carr’s men to at least break a three point spread against an Armagh team that had no real test against Cavan in Breffni Park two weekends ago. Steven McDonnell and Co looked back to their best in that match but Cavan were so poor it was almost impossible to tell. Taking a chance on Down could pay off.
They advise in showbusiness that you shouldn’t work with children or animals so why are we advising a bet in this year’s All-Ireland minor championship? Because we see value that’s why! Kerry, Tyrone and Meath are all very short in the betting, more so on their reputation than anything else. Cavan, on the other hand, are somewhat unfashionable but they have a potentially hot minor team who looked superb in their defeat of Armagh two weeks ago.
They can take some more scalps before the summer is through.
Former Cavan manager Mickey Graham was a quality player himself in his time and he has put together a team that are physically big - but play with a nice style.

FLAT RACING
TONY MARTIN hasn’t had the luckiest season of his career – think Psycho at Cheltenham, Royal County Star hitting a tartar in the Irish Grand National, and a host of handicap gambles that went narrowly wrong in the big meetings.
This Saturday though, he has a live chance of winning one of Flat racing’s most competitive handicaps, the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. Martin could well decide to take advantage of Arc Bleu’s handicap mark over the two-mile marathon and if he does you’d have to expect a big run from this German import.
He left a really good impression when cosily winning a decent handicap at the Curragh under Jamie Spencer. That day he ran off 74 and off an eleven-pound higher mark he is well capable of taking a big pot. That was last season and Martin has got two runs into his charge this spring.
First, under an inadequate mile at Dundalk he stayed on in the closing stages behind Cochlear, and then last month he showed that he is well capable of handling faster conditions when second in a Punchestown handicap hurdle.
If Eastern Anthem was to run in the Northumberland Plate for Godoplhin, Arc Bleu would contest the race off a mere eight stone. David Elsworth’s Silver Suitor looks well treated too but at four-times the price – and in the care of a man who lives to win these big races – Arc Bleu is worth a look.

THE IRISH DERBY
THE Irish Derby adorns the Curragh on Sunday and if Epsom Derby New Approach turns up in top shape, he’ll take all the beating.
At the time of writing he’s as short as even money though and, while Jim Bolger’s star is the most likely winner, that doesn’t represent much value.
Instead we’re going to plump for an overpriced each-way shot at 20-1. Allesandro Volta didn’t have the luck of the draw at Epsom.
Aidan O’Brien’s son of Montjeu was slowly into stride but stayed on up the straight to great effect.
He was 7 lengths behind New Approach but only a handful behind Casual Conquest, the 5-1 second favourite for Sunday. At 20s, and with O’Brien’s stable in such form, he’s worth an interest.
Recommended: Arc Blue 16-1 (Northumberland Plate, Saturday). Allesandro Volta 20-1  each-way (Irish Derby, Sunday).