Cleni can click
Successful in a bumper at the Punchestown Festival, the four-year-old made a good start over jumps at Galway last month.
A drifter in the market, 5-4 from 4-6, Cleni Boy belied the apparent lack of confidence with a smooth performance.
Partnered with almost frightening patience by Paul Carberry, he came from off the pace to beat Foligold by five and a half lengths and was in no way flattered by that margin. Foligold boosted the form when scoring at Limerick last Sunday.
Tom Taaffe’s Breaking Silence, who won his bumper on this track, looks the one to beat in the 22-runner Dairygold Agri Trading Hurdle.
Like Cleni Boy, he got off the mark over flights at the first time of asking at Sligo. The selection made a lot of the running then on the way to a facile 17 lengths victory.
That was a moderate contest, but Breaking Silence jumped and travelled really well throughout and is fancied to make the step up in grade.
Eoin Griffin’s Kendor Dine is the interesting one in the Dairygold Fertility Booster Maiden Hurdle.
He’s run just once in this country, showing a lot of promise when third to Heliostatic and Lord Admiral in a ten furlongs Group Three at Leopardstown in July.
Before that, he kept the best of company in France, landing two Group Threes at Longchamp and Saint-Cloud.
The frustrating Rights Of Man has a leading chance in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Novice Chase. Beaten two and a half lengths by Kadiskar at Killarney, Rights Of Man reopposes on 7lbs better terms and has since finished a creditable five lengths second to Openide In a Grade Three at Tipperary.
Rock Street, third in a winners’ race behind G’Day Mate at Tipperary, is the choice in the Dairygold Bumper.
At Cork today Farinelli gets a hopeful nod in the featured Listed Navigation Stakes. In theory, the three-year-old cannot win, because he is badly in at the weights with a number of these, including having 12lbs to find with Latino Magic.
But all the main worries, however, are either coming here on the back of busy campaigns or are out form. In contrast, Farinelli is having only the fourth race of his life and did appear to be rapidly on the upgrade when winning an ordinary maiden with any amount in hand at Gowran Park.
Deauville Visdion, returning from a long break and unsuited by the testing conditions when third at Listowel to Tawaafur, can provide the answer to the Ballyclough Maiden.
Aidan O’Brien’s once-raced Danehill colt, Meteor Shower, is an obvious danger and how strong he proves in the market will be all important.
