Speaking Of Which set to deliver in maiden
The once-raced son of Invincible Spirit made a good start at the Curragh last month, finishing three and a quarter lengths second behind David Wachman’s Amira’s Prince.
He travelled strongly throughout that stiff mile and ran all the way to the line. There are a couple of obvious dangers, but granted normal improvement Speaking Of Which should prove hard to beat.
Feature event is the valuable Listed Cork Stakes over six furlongs and this looks a particularly trappy affair. The highest rated trio, Criosultan, Marvada and Tough As Nails, meet on exactly the same terms as they would in a handicap and have between 3lbs and 25lbs in hand of the rest of the field.
The nod falls on the three-year-old, Tough As Nails, who should revel in both the ground and the easy six furlongs.
He was at his best in the early part of last season, producing a cracking effort in the Marble Hill Stakes at the Cururagh in May when beaten a short head by Power, with the smart Fire Lily a further four lengths away in third.
Jessica Harrington’s Absolute Crackers, with a rating of 95, should be up to winning the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden.
She rounded off last season with a creditable second to Homecoming Queen in a Listed event at the Curragh in October.
Peter Casey’s Flemenstar is the choice in the Grade 1 Powers’ Gold Cup at Fairyhouse tomorrow, although he would certainly be suited by plenty of rain.
Flemenstar is a smashing novice, who has got better and better as the campaign has progressed and appears to have more than enough in hand over the likes of Call The Police and Rathlin.
On a really difficult programme, Willie Mullins’ Ceol Rua can land the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final.
She has been rested since sloshing her way through bad ground to beat Shadow Eile by half a length at Fairyhouse in January and this doesn’t look the hottest of Graded contests!
At Cork tomorrow John Murphy’s Sheer Genius might pop up in the Friday Evening Racing At Cork Racecourse Handicap Hurdle.
Successful in a two and a half mile maiden at Leopardstown, he probably found three miles further than he wanted to travel when third to Novarov and Daring Article on this track last time.
