Cocktail Hour can get off the mark
Frustrating she might be, but the daughter of Notnowcato has run three solid races, the latest coming when failing to reel in the front-running Wholelotofrosie in very testing conditions at Galway last month.
Indeed, all of the selection’s outings have come when there was plenty of cut in the ground and it is surely in her favour that she will now get to compete for the first time on a decent surface.
Feature event is the Group 3 Diamond Stakes and, in a cracking renewal, Aidan O’Brien’s Declaration Of War is the fancy.
The ex-French horse was returning from a long break when fourth to Famous Name at the Curragh and then went back to headquarters for his second outing in this country last Sunday.
Declaration Of War cruised to a three and a half lengths defeat of Ebazan and, though this is a far tougher assignment, can continue on an upward curve.
Jessica Harrington’s Polished Rock is the one to be on in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Auction Maiden.
He chased home Dont Bother Me at Leopardstown in August and had the subsequent winners, Battle Of Marengo and Approval Given, behind in third and fourth respectively. The booking of Pat Smullen is an obvious plus.
At Gowran Park this afternoon, Joe Murphy’s Jack Daddy can land the mile and a half Bennettsbridge Maiden.
Beaten in a driving finish by John Oxx’s Katiola at Leopardstown 71 days ago, chances are he has been waiting on some good ground.
