BEST Think Twice might be worth waiting for in this evening's bumper in Roscommon.
The Charlie Swan trained gelding made a pleasing debut when third to Allure Of Illusion in Killarney last month and, with normal improvement, should prove tough to beat in the Frenchpark Flat Race.
Having tracked the leaders and travelled well, the four-year-old son of Oscar couldn't get to grips with the winner and longtime leader Maddoxtown in the last two furlongs but kept going in encouraging style to be beaten little more than two lengths.
With that experience under his belt, Best Think Twice, to be ridden again by Nina Carberry, gets the vote and might prove too strong for the well-bred Maytide, runner-up to Double Double on his debut at Leopardstown before filling fifth spot behind Fort Defiance at Galway.
On the mark at Dundalk yesterday after a treble in Leopardstown on Saturday, Johnny Murtagh is back in top form and ready for a battle as he bids to retain the championship title. And the reigning champion has obvious prospects tonight on a couple of rides for David Wachman, Emerald Ring and Crazyforlovingyou.
Although the addition of blinkers is a concern, 90-rated Emerald Ring undoubtedly sets the standard in the opening Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Median Auction Maiden.
This daughter of Johannesburg has finished in the frame in three of her four starts including second to Radharcnafarraige at Naas and, last time, when disappointingly beaten by Peahen at Dundalk.
The Wachman filly also has a respectable fifth to Seeharn in the listed Ballygallon Stakes at the Curragh to her credit.
Although she looks exposed and is wearing blinkers, Emerald Ring has been found an ideal opportunity to belatedly get off the mark.
With a rating of just 73, Crazyforlovingyou is no star.
But her most recent second to Saajidah (runs in today's 5.35) in a Killarney maiden gives her every chance in the mile-and-a-half fillies maiden.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, September 06, 2010
