Cheekpieces could make all the difference to Snow Queen
Unraced as a juvenile, he has gone from strength to strength in four runs this season, winning his last three.
The grey son of Shirocco’s latest success was easily his best effort to date, landing another Group 3 on this track in fine style in early July.
The selection travelled like a dream through the testing ground that day, powering clear in the straight to score by five and a half lengths.
The form is nothing special, but the manner in which Hartani got the mile and six then augurs well for his prospects now.
Aidan O’Brien’s mildly frustrating Snow Queen gets the vote in the seven furlongs Loder EBF Fillies Race.
Joseph O’Brien carried 2lbs overweight when she went under by half a length to John Oxx’s newcomer, What Style, at Leopardstown.
There’s no doubt Snow Queen is vulnerable to a smart first-time again, but the fitting of cheekpieces could well make all the difference.
At Cork tomorrow the big attracion will be Galway Hurdle hero, Rebel Fitz, in the J P McManus Hurdle.
He produced a terrific display at Ballybrit to defy 11-5, by a head from Cause Of Causes, and this is an easier task.
Henry de Bromhead’s Too Scoops, a costly failure at Galway, can deliver in the Follow Cork Racecourse On Facebook Maiden Hurdle.
He was beaten a head into second by Gold Ability on that occasion, but the form was nicely boosted when Gold Ability then went on to win easily at Downpatrick.
David Wachman’s Pageboy, absent since beating subsequent winner, E Mac, impressively at Tipperary in April, gets the nap in the Corkracecourse.ie Hurdle.
David Simcock’s English challenger, Birdman, is the fancy in the Group 2 Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes at the Curragh tomorrow.
He could only manage seventh to Olympic Glory at Goodwood last time, but the contest was run on a sound surface.
Prior to that Birdman won on heavy ground at Chepstow and then only went under by a head to Olympic Glory, also on heavy, in a Group 2 at Newmarket.
