O’Brien in line for treble
The mildly enigmatic Napoleon could provide the Ballydoyle handler with the final leg in the Irish Masiden Rated Race. He ran his best race to date at Gowran Park last week when touched off close home and beaten a short head by Muntami.
That contest was run over an extended nine furlongs and the selection looked to be crying out for further. He now goes a mile and a half and, as a son of Sadler’s Wells, soft ground should hold no fears for him.
O’Brien’s once-raced Falstaff (Seamus Heffernan), by the great Montjeu, can open his account in the first division of the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden.
He was in good company on this track earlier in the month, a head and half a length third to Defi and Hard Warrior, only getting the hang of what was required in the closing stages.
The second section of the same contest is probably best left to the Ballydoyle newcomer, Winter Palace, also by Sadler’s Wells, who will be guided by Colm O’Donoghue.
Feature event is the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fairy Bridge Stakes and a hopeful nod here falls on Kevin Prendergast’s Takrice. She hasn’t been seen since finishing a well beaten 11th of 15 behind Attraction in the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh in May.
That classic was run on a fast surface and Takrice is best suited by plenty cut, as she proved when beaten a short head by Royal Tigress at Leopardstown and when taking her maiden at Galway last season.
Coseadrom, 7lbs better in for a beating of two lengths by Belle Artiste over this course and distance last time, is fancied to reverse the placings in the conditions race for juveniles and cope with top weight, Kay Too, as well.
