Icy Reply looks set to deliver in mares’ maiden
She got off the mark in a modest three-mile maiden at Cork in July and has gone from strength to strength in the meantime.
The four-year old followed by beating Clara Mc Cloud comfortably at Tipperary, prior to heading to the Galway festival.
Icy Reply tackled a decent enough novice hurdle there and looked all over a winner jumping the last. But she gave it away on the run in, edging towards the stands and was eventually beaten into second by Desertmore Stream.
Mark Enright now takes over from competent 7lbs claimer, Aine O’Connor, and Icy Reply rates the nap.
Dermot Weld’s Tandem, a very useful sort on the flat, looks best in the navanracecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle.
He has been afforded a little break, absent since proving one of the costliest failures at Galway at the end of July.
The five-year-old carried huge stable confidence, but it was sadly misplaced, as he could only manage third behind Most Peculiar and Draco. Essentially, Tandem proved most disappointing, failing to pick up in the straight when asked by Robbie McNamara.
The contest, however, could hardly have worked out any better. Most Peculiar hasn’t run since, but Draco, Hash Brown (fourth), Gusty Rock (fifth) and Tawseef (sixth) have all won in the meantime.
At Dundalk tomorrow, Jessica Harrington’s Lola Beaux can beat Aidan O’Brien’s General Marshall in the www.dundadalkstadium.com Maiden.
Lola Beaux made an excellent start at Tipperary when grabbed late and beaten three parts of a length into second by Dermot Weld’s well regarded newcomer, Zafilani.
General Marshall didn’t appear to get the run of the race when failing to justify favouritism at the Curragh on his latest appearance, but it was still a below-par effort.
Quartz is fancied to give O’Brien’s son, Donnacha, a first ever success in the Dundalk Stadium Apprentice Maiden.
This son of Fastnet Rock is clearly ordinary and has to overcome the worst of the draw in 14.
But the evidence of his debut third to Shemshal and Intisaab at Bellewstown entitles Quartz to preference, in what is essentially a weak race.
