King can reign
Michael Halford’s seven-year-old was a beaten favourite on this track earlier in the month, but is fancied to redress the balance.
Soon taken to the front by Rory Cleary, the selection was run out of it inside the final furlong and beaten three parts of a length by market-rival, Adare Manor.
Encouragingly, Cosmo King stuck really well to his task and, stepping up over a furlong in trip and off a mark just 3lbs higher, rates the nap.
Dermot Weld has his team well forward and once-raced Suailce can score for him the Ravensdale Fillies Maiden.
She performed with a lot of promise at the back-end of last season, when a length and a half second to John Oxx’s Simawa at Leopardstown.
It is always a risk as to whether three-year-old fillies have trained on, but the fact she is out so early in the campaign would indicate that Weld is more than pleased with her current well-being.
Weld also has prospects with No Strings in the Ardee Handicap. He got a fine drive from Pat Smullen when beating Fiery Lad by a head on this track on his seasonal debut.
The selection went up just 4lbs for that and, hopefully, won’t be too inconvenienced dropping down over two furlongs in trip! Ger Lyons’ Romeo’s Fire has a leading chance in the five furlongs Oriel Handicap. A course and distance winner, the son of Danehill showed he is in good form right now when collared late over six furlongs by Infinite Charm at Dundalk 19 days ago.
