Improving Swiss Roll looks tasty
She has looked much improved since stepped up to the distance of this contest, a mile and a half, and seems sure to ask questions of her rivals from a fair way out.
The selection indicated she was on the upgrade when tackling 12 furlongs for the first time at Leopardstown last month, finishing third behind the useful Handel and subsequent Limerick winner, Rayshan.
Swiss Roll then got off the mark at Fairyhouse, again over a mile and a half. Wayne Lordan took her to the front over furlongs out and she galloped on relentlessly to beat Canouan a comfortable two and a half lengths.
Final Opinion and Euro Pressure were well adrift in third and fourth places respectively and they have since dominated a maiden at Navan.
Miss Nashwan is the highest rated horse in the race and trainer, Dermot Weld, had high hopes for her early in the campaign. But two poor efforts of late, at Navan and in the Italian Oaks, leave her with plenty to prove.
Snippets performed well in the Cheshire Oaks at Chester, but the form hasn’t worked out, while John Oxx sets a real puzzle by saddling no less than four runners.
Swiss Roll has 10lbs to find at the weights with Miss Nashwan, and 8lbs with Snippets, but may have been underestimated and gets the vote.
The market will be the best guide to Aidan O’Brien’s newcomer, Day Of The Cat, by Storm Cat, in the opening Owenstown Stud Maiden.
From this range, however, preference is for Jim Bolger’s Il Pirata, a promising third to Steel Light and Wathab at the Curragh, with Saturday’s York winner, One Cool Cat, in fourth spot.
Pat Hughes’ Rackard, who came from off the pace to finish third behind Tony Mullins’ well-regarded Shannon Leader at Punchestown, is fancied to provide the solution to the Bumper.
