Tawaagg on the upgrade
The nap vote falls on Willie Mullins’ Tawaagg, who is clearly on the upgrade, in the Kilberry Novice Chase. He’s run just twice over fences, starting with a narrow defeat behind Rahan De Marcigny at Leopardstown.
The selection then went off a warm favourite at Gowran Park and made no mistake, producing a smooth performance.
Partnered with confidence by Paul Townend, Tawaagg cruised ahead between the final two fences to score hard held by eight lengths.
A couple of horses have come out of the contest and won in the meantime and, though this is a much stiffer test, the progressive seven-year-old can prove up to it.
Made In Taipan and Saludos look the two to concentrate on in the Grade 2 Webester Cup Chase. Saludos has developed into a smart novice, battling well to beat Montan on this track on his latest appearance.
The problem, however, is that he is 11lbs wrong with Made In Taipan and his ability to stay two and a half miles has to be taken on trust.
Made In Taipan is not the most reliable of customers, but there are indications of late that he is getting his act together and ran a cracker last time when runner-up behind Stonemaster over flights at Leopardstown. He gets the vote.
At Leopardstown tomorrow much interest will centre on the display of the 114-rated Dunboyne Express in the 2000 Guineas Trial.
He looked a possible star of the future at the Curragh in July, taking the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes by eight lengths.
Dunboyne Express, however, wasn’t seen again until reappearing in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in October.
He performed no more than respectably that day, finishing fifth of ten behind the impressive Casamento. It will be interesting to note how he travels in the market, but in any case a chance is taken that John Oxx’s Cocozza might turn him over. He created a major impression when taking his maiden in a canter at Cork in October and the second then, Manieree, went in next time.
Dermot Weld’s Eva’s Time, doing all her best work at the end of seven furlongs when beaten a neck by Stylish one at Leopardstown at the end of last season, should relish the step up in trip in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden.
The nap vote falls on Aidan O’Brien’s once-raced Apache, a son of Galileo, in the Leopardstown Leap Maiden. He too should enjoy moving forward in distance, having been beaten a head by Banksters Bonus over a mile at the Curragh.
