Venus de Milo hard to oppose
Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old has between 12lbs and 25lbs in hand of her five rivals and, on that basis, is an automatic selection.
The daughter of Duke Of Marmalade has made extraordinary progress, in a short space of time. Unraced as a juvenile, she made a winning debut in a maiden at Fairyhouse in June and followed by taking a Listed race at Naas.
O’Brien then threw her in at the deep end in the Irish Oaks at the Cururagh and she emerged with reputation greatly enhanced. The selection was only beaten half a length into second by French challenger, Chicquita, and the form has already been boosted by the fourth, Scintillula, who went on to turn over hot pot Mars at Leopardstown.
The Listed Platinum Stakes is far more competitive and it would require a brave observer to be dogmatic regarding the likely outcome of this 18-runner affair.
The nod falls on another O’Brien inmate, Snow Queen, who was doing all of her best work at the end of seven furlongs when runner up behind Yellow Rosebud in another Listed event at Galway last week.
The nap vote falls on Dermot Weld’s Lake District in the seven furlongs Family Day Out Maiden.
He’s certainly not to be overly trusted, but this looks a weak race and Lake District has every chance on his half a length second behind subsequent winner, Overland Express, on this track in June. The Raven’s Pass gelding made most of the running and dropping down over a furlong in trip now should work in his favour.
