Mister Hight to revel in testing conditions
A large field may be set to face the starter, but a solid case can be made for very few and the selection’s love of testing conditions is a major plus.
The three-year-old produced a sound display in a competitive handicap at Naas last time. He finished a creditable third behind Essex and in-form Davorin, conceding plenty of weight to both.
The durable Devious Diva rates the best alternative, having again run well when fifth behind Bricks And Porter at the Curragh earlier in the month.
Third placed Artist’s Muse boosted the form with an easy success at the Curragh on Monday. Devious Diva, however, would be 11lbs better in with Mister Hight in a handicap and seems to have too much to do.
Dermot Weld’s Marsam and Aidan O’Brien’s Tusculum promise a fascinating tussle for the first division of the It’s All Happening Maiden.
Marsam had his rival half a length behind in third when beaten three parts of
a length by another Ballydoyle inmate, Puerto Rico, at the Curragh 25 days ago.
Tusculum was the medium of some inspired wagers, 10-1 to 4-1, and his supporters were distinctly unlucky not to collect.
He jinked marginally to the left and then violently right, when pressure was applied, throwing away his chance.
If Tusculum keeps a straight course now he’s obviously going to be very hard to beat, but I prefer to rely on Marsam, who showed much the greater resolution, from a bad draw, then. As a son of Daylami, he should handle the conditions.
The second section of the same contest may fall to O’Brien’s Mountain, who hung away to the right for much of the straight when a length and a half second to Kalmez on his debut on this track. There aren’t any fears about him on the surface, being by Montjeu.
