Progressive Dick Morris can go one better
He produced the performance of his young life at Gowran Park last time and, if stripping in the same mood, will take a lot of beating.
He was beaten a short head at Gowran by Dermot Weld’s hot-pot Artic Cry, after the pair had engaged in a real battle up the straight.
Back in third, a length and a half adrift of the selection, was Slaney Rock and he boosted the form when finishing runner-up behind Aidan O’Brien’s well-regarded Greek Mythology at Leopardstown on Wednesday night.
Listowel also houses what promises the best race of the four meetings in Ireland, the E.R.A Horgan Properties Chase.
The vote falls on Conna Castle, who finally got his act together over fences at Kilbeggan two weeks ago. He won that moderate contest in a canter and it should have done plenty for the confidence of this potentially high class eight-year-old.
At Tramore this afternoon the Cork bumper winner Shaimaa can get off the mark on the flat in the Directors’ Maiden for lady riders.
The pilot is almost as important as the horse in such races and the selection’s partner, Adrienne Foley, is one of the best around.
Shaimaa ran a cracking good race over a mile at Naas when fifth to yesterday’s Epsom Oaks second, Peeping Fawn.
David Wachman’s once-raced Winners Toast and John Oxx’s Taralaya are the pair to concentrate on in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden.
Taralaya, third to Lucky Heroine and Impudent at Wexford eight days ago, has arguably the better form.
Preference, however, is for Winners Toast, who has more scope for improvement, having taken fifth in the contest won by Mamlook, also at Wexford.
Amusing gets the nod to land the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden. She stayed on quite nicely when third to Downtown at Clonmel and may relish stepping up another two furlongs in trip. Coin Man, in the Wines Direct Beginners Chase at Kilbeggan tonight, and Thiella, in the last Navan tomorrow, are two more who might repay an investment.
