Make it Menwaal
Formerly trained by Kevin Prendergast, he is now in the care of up-and coming handler, Mick Murphy, who has a good record with horses purchased out of other yards.
The selection made a solid start for Murphy at the recent Listowel Festival. Menwaal had plenty to do entering the straight, but finished with a real flourish to fill third spot behind Marikhar and reliable yardstick, Forthright.
Rated 88 then, the handicapper allows the son of Montjeu to compete again from that mark. At one stage with Prendergast he was as high as 98 and actually landed a handicap for him at Cork off 92.
The frustrating Houston Dynimo, trained by Prendergast, is given another chance in the Rooftop Restaurant At Gowran Park Maiden.
You would have to say he was disappointing on his latest appearance when only fourth to Casual Conquest at Leopardstown.
But a lot of use was made of him on that occasion and Houston Dynimo looked a far better horse at Leopardstown two runs earlier when coming from behind to fail by a head to the useful Domestic Fund.
Carbonia is a hopeful choice in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden for two-year-olds, having finished six lengths second to well-regarded Chinese White on her debut at Leopardstown.
Worryingly, that’s a contest which hasn’t been working out particularly well, but the credit side is that John Oxx’s juveniles often come on a bundle for an outing.
Oxx’s Lilanda gets the nod in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden for older horses. Beaten three lengths into second by stable companion Saga Celebre at Fairyhouse, it was a huge improvement on her two efforts prior to that.
