Faadhil may have the edge
The son of Diesis got off the mark at the third time of asking as a juvenile, making all to beat Arawan by three parts of a length at the Curragh in September. He wasn’t seen again until reappearing in a Curragh handicap ten days ago.
The selection blazed the trail one more time and they were tactics which looked destined to succceed for most of that nine furlongs journey. Faadhil, however, had no more to give through the last half furlong, eventually going down by a neck and a half a length behind Latino Magic and Tajseed.
Weld, typically, has wasted no time putting blinkers on the colt and, dropping down in trip, he should take plenty catching!
Aidan O’Brien’s Gianfanti rates the principal danger. He too won third time out as a two-year-old, beating stable companion and subsequent Leopardstown winner, Salt Lake City, at Cork. Gianfanti has a current rating 5lbs ahead of Faadhil and may be a better long-term prospect, but race-fitness is a big advantage at this time of year and the fact Faadhil has an outing under his belt sways one towards him.
Whatever Gianfanti’s fate, Ballydoyle should provide the solution to the opening Munster Maiden with Devil Moon. The Danehill youngster was a very costly failure at Cork last month, failing by two lengths to justify odds of 1-3 behind Kevin Prendergast’s newcomer, Blue Banner. He will know a lot more about the game and it will surely take a smart newcomer to beat him!
The weekend indicated that John Oxx’s charges are ready to hit top gear and his Ebatana, the mount of Fran Berry, gets the nod in the EBF Fillies Race. She was a close third to Roosevelt and Southern Style in an ordinary enough contest at Leopardstown, but stepping up another two furlongs now may show her in a more favourable light.
Oxx can also take the EBF Fillies Maiden with Prayer, this time with Johnny Murtagh on board. Conditions were extremely testing when this daughter of Rainbow Quest showed plenty promise behind Alberto Giacometti in a back-end maiden at the Curragh.
