Magen poised to be the star again
Tommy Stack has his horses in terrific shape and the progressive and mud-loving four-year-old may be capable of defying a major hike in the weights.
The daughter of Galileo got off the mark with a vengeance at the Curragh in May. On heavy ground, in what appeared a tricky contest, she spreadeagled the field to score by 12 lengths.
The selection then took a conditions event at Listowel, on ground which may have been a trifle fast, by a short head from subsequent winner, Zaralabad.
Magen’s Star has gone up 21lbs for those two successes, but the more rain which falls the better and she may prove equal to the task.
If Tom Cooper’s Coole Avenue handles the ground then he will be very much the one to beat in the O’Keeffes Marquee Hire Ladies Bumper. He has been showing steady improvement, producing his best effort when runner-up behind Theatre Festival at Gowran Park last time, although that was on a quick surface!
Themoonandsixpence gets the nod in the Ashes Bar Glenbeigh Handicap Hurdle. Willie Mullins’ gelding was returning from a little break when third to Waittillitellyou and Printing Copper at Tipperary and is entitled to strip fitter on this occasion.
The Mike Cronin Readymix Ltd Thermohouse Maiden may be best left to John Oxx’s lightly-raced Anak. The son of Sinndar showed little in one outing as a juvenile, but did better on his reappearance when third to Wildfire Blaze at Fairyhouse, enjoying far from a clear passage in the straight.
