Ihtsahymn Under The Radar In Boulder Cup
Group 1 champion Ihtsahymn looks set to fly under the radar in today’s $100,000 Listed Blue Spec Drilling Boulder Cup (2105m) in Kalgoorlie.
Aiming for back to back feature wins after claiming his second Darwin Cup (2050m) in August, Ihtsahymn is rated a $5.50 chance with Tabtouch.
Western Temple heads a wide-open market at $3.60, with Divine Shadow ($4), Friar Fox ($4.40) and Superior Smile ($6) also in single figure odds.
“Every year he runs in the Darwin Cup he runs around them odds, Hall said on Tabradio.
“For some reason, he is a horse that goes under the radar, but he is the classiest horse in the race, that’s for sure.”
The Boulder Cup is the first leg of a double for Ihtsahymn as he strives to improve on his third placing in last year’s Kalgoorlie Cup.
Hall said Ihtsahymn had recovered strongly from his Darwin Cup triumph and looked sharped when winning a 1450 trial on September 7.
“Leading into the Darwin Cup he had a couple of little issues and I said how brave he was to win that race,” Hall said.
“A week or two after the Darwin Cup he has improved even more.
“You saw what he did in the trial, he’s pretty classy and finds a way to win.”
Ihtsahymn shoulders the 60kg top weight, 1 ½ less than the Darwin Cup and will jump from barrier eight in a field of 10 starters.
“The weight doesn’t worry him,” Hall said.
“The only thing that makes it difficult for him is the wide draw, so I will have to make a couple of choices.”
Hall hopes to build on his Boulder Cup record after previous wins aboard Don’tgetcaught (2016), Reverend Lovejoy (2011-2009), Opening Twist (2001).
He’s confident Ihtsahymn has the class to deliver him a fifth victory in the race.
“I’m so much looking forward to riding him on Sunday and in a fortnight in the Kalgoorlie Cup,” Hall said.
“Nothing surprises me with this horse, he is a very classy animal.”
‘He will be very hard to beat you would imagine.”
Julio Santarelli