Chief can pull rank on rivals
Aidan O’Brien’s son of Giant’s Causeway is now fitted with blinkers and they could well make all the difference.
He ran a cracking race on the polytrack at Dundalk, as a prelude to going off a heavily-backed, and warm, favourite at Navan last week.
The selection, however, ran into a rapidly improving Dermot Weld-trained colt in the shape of Galileo’s Choice, going under by three parts of a length.
Chief Lone Eagle now eases down a little in trip, compared to Dundalk and Navan, and that could well work in favour of this front-runner!
Kevin Prendergast’s Velvet Flicker can provide the solution to the five furlong Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Median Auction Race. The trip is on the short side for the daughter of Fasliyev, but the opposition will be to her liking and this represents a fair drop in class, having finished a creditable eighth of 20 behind Lucky General in a valuable sales race at the Curragh.
At Downpatrick today, Conor O’Dwyer’s Presenting Massey is the one to beat in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden Hurdle.
He was the medium of a decent gamble at Gowran Park, but was beaten a length and three parts into second by Doctor Scott. His jumping left him down then, it was his initial outing over flights, and any improvement in that department will obviously be a major help.
On an excellent all-National Hunt programme at Cork tomorrow, Faltering Fullback is fancied to continue his climb up the ladder by landing the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Novice Chase.
He produced a smashing exhibition of jumping to get off the mark over fences at the first time of asking at Listowel and the form was boosted when runner-up Lucky Wish went in subsequently.
Edward O’Grady’s Catch Me, a high-class staying hurdler, is a fascinating and dangerous challenger, in receipt of 7lbs.
Jessica Harrington’s Imperial Cascade, successful in a bumper at the Punchestown Festival, gets the nod in the Mallow Maiden Hurdle.
Valain, third at Listowel over hurdles to Turf War, can successfully revert to fences in the Kinsale Handicap Chase.
One who scored over hurdles at Listowel, Tilabay, gets the nap in the October Handicap at Naas. He has shown a lot of improvement, since being sent to Willie Mullins, and Eddie Linehan takes off an invaluable 10lbs.
Dance Hall Girl, outbattled in testing conditions by Dermot Weld’s newcomer, Emulous, at the Curragh on Monday, can crop up in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden.
