Apt looks the part in maiden
Although well beaten on her debut at the Curragh, the daughter of Danetime performed with real promise and is entitled to come on plenty for the experience.
Light in the market, Apt travelled like a dream through the contest, until weakening from the furlong pole to be beaten five and a half lengths by Jim Bolger’s newcomer, Forest Storm.
Bolger’s Scandal Sheet, a length and three parts runner-up behind Dermot Weld’s Liebermann at Tippeary, rates the main danger.
It seems reasonably safe to narrow down the Galway City Vintners’ Novice Chase to Clew Bay Lodge, Oulart and Tasman, but making a choice is not easy.
Clew Bay Lodge found two miles and a furlong all too short when third to Skip Two and Dreamy Gent on this track in July.
At the same meeting, Taasman was impressive when beating Beautiful Vision a comfortable four and a half lengths.
The vote, however, goes to Oulart who has a wealth of experience on his side. Dessie Hughes’ charge is a bit of an enigma, but jumped well when hitting form in a moderate Kilbeggan handicap.
Tom Foley’s very much in-form Dariak is the one to beat in the Ryans’ Event Cleaners Handicap Hurdle.
He arrives on the back of a career-best effort in the Galway Hurdle, finishing a close fourth fourth behind Indian Pace, and reappears off a mark just 4lbs higher.
Macs Flamingo, fifth behind Oslot in the Galway Plate last time, has obvious prospects in the far less competitive Smirnoff Handicap Chase.
