Side with Sampers
Andrew Oliver’s colt has been mixing it with far better opposition than he meets here and only has to run close to his best to finally deliver. The son of Indian Haven was fourth behind Love Lockdown in a Group 3 at Kempton last time and his second to Dick Turpin on this track and fourth behind Alfred Nobel in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh are particularly smart efforts, in the context of this contest.
It will be a pleasant surprise should In Some Respect not be an odds-on shot and Sampers can prove a more lucrative nap in the Ratoath Maiden. In theory she meets a number of dangerous rivals, but mostly they seem to need further than this six furlongs.
In contrast it may prove the ideal trip for Michael Halford’s filly, who was a little unlucky at Dundalk on her latest appearance when a head runner-up behind Forbidden City.
Kevin Prendergast’s Hedaaya gets a hopeful nod in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden. She has produced two solid enough efforts thus far, although there is the suspicion the daughter of Indian Ridge may be ordinary enough.
Hedaaya was beaten two lengths into second by Aidan O’Brien’s You’ll Be Mine at Leopardstown earlier in the month and, perhaps, that will prove a level of form sufficient to get through this test.
Blue Ridge Lane, who benefited from an inspired drive from Pat Smullen to score by three lengths at Clonmel, might be capable of going in again in the Oldcastle Rated Race.
