Wednesday 9th April Racing Tips: Leopardstown Leopardstown hosts Ireland’s sole meeting on Wednesday and the ground is set to be unusually fast for the time of year, with an official going description of good to firm, good in places. We have an eight-race card to look forward to and the Listed Heritage Stakes is the feature event. The action kicks off at 13:48 and runs through to the finale at 17:25 and we have provided selections and analysis for three of the races on Wednesday’s card. bet365 Free Bets Offer If you have already signed up to bet365, check out more of the best betting sites and casino bonuses Selections: 13.48 - Butterfly Wings @ SP with bet365 14.48 - Himalayan Heights @ SP with bet365 15.48 - Lord Massusus @ SP with bet365 13.48 - Butterfly Wings Aidan O’Brien’s runners often need their first runs of the season, but it could be worth taking a punt on Butterfly Wings, one of three in the race for the legendary trainer. Ryan Moore heads over to ride her and one other on Wednesday. This typically well bred Ballydoyle filly is distantly related to the great Giant’s Causeway and her dam placed in Group 3 company over 1m4f in her racing days. Justify is a reliable producer of middle-distance types, so there’s evidence on both sides of her pedigree that the step up to 1m2f is likely to facilitate improvement. The form of her fourth-place finish on debut here over a mile in July has received a couple of boosts, especially with the winner scoring in Group 3 company recently. She was outsprinted when attempting to make all at Salisbury after that and should be stronger this year. This sort of trip was always going to be her cup of tea and even if today isn’t the day, it won’t be long until she gets off the mark. 14.48 - Himalayan Heights The lightly raced Himalayan Heights was well on top at the finish when winning a maiden over an extended 1m4f at Tipperary in May and was second to subsequent Royal Ascot runner-up Highbury before that, which is rock-solid form. Making his handicap debut at the Galway Festival, he ran a blinder to finish third and just faded in the final half-a-furlong. That performance came off this very mark and he’s entitled to be competitive with that in mind. His two most recent efforts have been a little underwhelming, but the handicapper has responded accordingly and perhaps his mind will fully be on the job at hand, having been gelded since we last saw him. It’s easy to make the case that we haven’t seen the best of him yet as Ger Lyons’ four-year-old has only had three starts in handicap company. Lyons has three winners from his 13 runners in the last fortnight and that’s a more than reasonable strike-rate. 15.48 - Lord Massusus Lord Massusus is adaptable with regards to ground and shouldn’t be too inconvenienced by quick conditions here at Leopardstown. Joseph Murphy’s five-year-old won a Listed race at the Curragh in good style last summer and will surely be in the mix, if producing a similar effort here. He was also far from disgraced when fifth behind Diego Velazquez in the Group 2 Solonaway Stakes over course and distance in September. This son of Markaz looked badly in need of the run when well beaten over 7f on seasonal debut and should improve for the run.
