Elusive success beckons for Thomas O’Malley
Joseph O’Brien’s horse has been frustrating to follow, but ran on in good style in a similar event last time and a similar display should get him home in front this time.
Rock In Peace should ensure a good gallop from the outset, and that can set it up for Thomas O’Malley to come with a telling late run. Boy Charlton was an eye-catcher last time and may be found a winning opportunity in the near future, while newcomer Caesar’s Comet is of obvious given he comes from the yard of Michael Halford.
One of the more interesting runners on the card is Mawaany, who contests the Race Displays Maiden. One of two runners for trainer Ger Lyons, his four runs to date have come for Michael Stoute, and if his penultimate effort could be taken literally he would difficult to oppose here.
On that occasion, he finished strongly to be beaten just a neck behind a horse, Red Cardinal, which went on to win his next two starts before being placed in Group 3 company and then being sold to race in Germany, where his first start resulted in a runner-up finish in a Group 1.
While the link to that level of form is tenuous, the third-placed runner at Bath, Emperor Napoleon, is rated 88, and fourth-placed Mazaz, who won an all-weather maiden in October, is 86.
That suggests Mazaany is of a standard which should be more than good enough to win a maiden at this time of year. He doesn’t sport the visor which he wore on his last three starts for Stoute, and the market should provide the best guide to his chance, but if it speaks positively, he should be very hard to beat.
Walkabout was a real eye-catcher last time and is another to be with if the market speaks favourably in the minutes before the off. Out the back for most of the journey on his most recent start, here last month, he made late progress to be beaten just five lengths in eighth place behind Solar Heat.
The winning hurdler looks more than capable of winning off a rating of 56 and this looks a good opportunity to exploit that mark.
Cocoa Beach showed enough on his debut for Ger Lyons to suggest he could be a leading player in the www.stageandlighting.ie rated race.
Quite keen on that occasion, last month, he was beaten only three and a quarter lengths in seventh place behind Geological, and it’s reasonable to expect a significant step forward from that effort.
The draw hasn’t been very kind, but his current mark looks reasonable, and a big run can be expected.
