Outback can thrive on quicker surface
He was taken out at Killarney last Friday, because of the soft ground, and the quicker the surface now the better.
The selection showed nothing on his debut, 11th of 13 behind Slim Chance at Down Royal, but stepped up dramatically on that effort next time.
Allowed bowl along at the front at Gowran Park, it was well into the final furlong before he gave best, going down by a length and a half to the potentially smart Aidan O’Brien-trained newcomer Daddy Long Legs.
Outback is well drawn in three and surely it will be a case of out and away, with an extra furlong and a half now looking to be in his favour.
Feature event is the Listed Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes, which is really a puzzle. The nod falls on Aidan O’Brien’s Spin, who appears to be going the right way.
Her best effort was chasing home Banimpire at Naas three runs back, while her latest outing saw the daughter of Galileo finish fourth in a Listed event at York.
O'Brien’s Wrote can defy top weight in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Premier Nursery, having got off the mark at the second time of asking in a maiden at Cork a week ago.
The somewhat enigmatic Dermot Weld-trained Harangue gets the nod in the mile and a half Renmore Maiden.
He looked a decidedly difficult ride at Sligo last time, but still managed to run John Oxx’s Narjawa to three parts of a length and, if behaving himself, is the one they all have to beat.
At Downpatrick, Kieran Purcell’s Warwickshire, grabbed late on by Willie Mullins’ Passage Vendome at Tramore, looks difficult to oppose in the Bumper.
