Millstreet can exploit good handicap mark
The progressive Millstreet is the choice to provide the solution to the featured Guinness Extra Stout Handicap.
He’s run three nice races this season and appears well weighted on 8-12. Beaten on his debut by Mr Andrea at Limerick, the selection made no mistake subsequently with a decisive maiden success at the Curragh.
Millstreet was again far from disgraced last time when going down by three parts of a length to Almost Famous, who was in receipt of 4lbs, in a conditions event at Leopardstown.
The Polish Precedent gelding handles cut in the ground really well and that is likely to be a big help!
The conditions of the Guinness Extra Cold Race mark Dibiya as the proverbial certainty, but whether it will work out like that remains to be seen.
Beyond The Pole is the only possible danger, but would be 24lbs better in if this was a handicap.
The problem with Dibiya, who won her maiden by eight lengths here a year ago, is that she pulled up lame after half a mile in the contest won by Vinnie Roe at Leopardstown at the end of May.
In any case, the simple fact of the matter is if Dibiya strips fit and fancied then there can only be one result!
Christy Roche’s Poc Fada has looked a moderate enough performer thus far, but is still napped to take the Budweiser Handicap Hurdle.
Like many of Roche’s inmates the five-year-old has been given plenty time to mature and is surely better than he looked when fourth behind Nan Chero in a maiden hurdle at Cork in April.
Dermot Weld had had a largely dismal week, by his very high standards, but you still have to row in with his once-raced Revue in the Smithwicks Maiden.
He caught the eye when fifth behind Flying Knight at Leopardstown and it seems significant the son of Sadler’s Wells now steps up an extra four furlongs in trip.
