Magic can lead rivals a merry dance
The conditions of the contest are in his favour and promising claimer Sean Flanagan takes another 5lbs off. Of course the seven-year-old, arguably, shouldn’t strip as fit as his main rivals, but horses trained by Michael Bowe rarely need a run.
The selection won first time up last season and has some cracking efforts to his name, notably finishing a length second to Noel Meade’s well-regarded Heron’s Flight at Naas back in March. All ground seems to come the same to him.
Tom Taaffe’s Ice Warrior can land the first division of the Lighthouse Navan Maiden Hurdle. As a prelude to easily winning a bumper at Tipperary, he was a creditable third to Monoceros and Grand Revival over flights at Downpatrick.
The second division can go to Colm Murphy’s Megans Joy. She appears to be rapidly on the upgrade, cruising to victory in a winners’ bumper at Roscommon on her latest appearance.
Pacolet, who was chasing eventual winner, Cool Running, when blundering badly at the last at Galway, can get back on the winning trail in the Le Grande Chase.
The Bumper can fall to Mr Muji, who didn’t enjoy a lot of luck in running when third to the impressive Gonebeyondrecall at the Punchestown Festival in April.
At the Curragh tomorrow, Lizard Island can give weight and a beating all round in the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes.
It has been a case of steady improvement for the Danehill Dancer colt and his five lengths fourth to the best juvenile seen this season, New Approach, in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh speaks for itself.
The ex-French-trained US Ranger has his eagerly awaited first run for Aidan O’Brien in the Waterford Testimonial Stakes.
A high-class colt, he hasn’t been seen since finishing second behind Tariq in the Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot back in June.
US Ranger shaped like a non-stayer then and is hard to oppose now, dropping down to six furlongs.
At Clonmel tomorrow the somewhat enigmatic Rebel Chief gets the nap in the John Costigan Memorial Novice Hurdle.
He has completely lost the plot over fences of late and it is no suprise returns to this game, having scored narrowly on his last outing over hurdles when getting up close home to beat False Evidence a short head at Fairyhouse in early May.
