Sir Isaac Newton looks set to belatedly get off the mark
A tall reputation preceded this son of Galileo to the track last autumn, making his eagerly-awaited debut in a seven-furlong maiden in Leopardstown.
And the Ballydoyle colt ran a race full of promise, losing out by a half-length to Zawraq after a good battle, the pair stretching seven lengths clear of the remainder. They looked two exciting prospects on that occasion.
Zawraq, of course, returned to action with a win in a Guineas trial in Leopardstown and is on course, with realistic prospects, for next week’s Investec Derby. Meanwhile, Sir Isaac Newton made his belated seasonal reappearance in a ten-furlong maiden in Chester, for which he started 1/6 favourite but he was beaten by 79-rated Cymro.
Although that was a disappointing effort, Seamus Heffernan’s mount will strip fitter today and, dropping back in trip, he should prove too strong for Dermot Weld’s Valac, a beaten odds-on favourite on both starts, by Hans Holbein and Cradle Mountain — both trained by Aidan O’Brien.
Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen might complete a double for the Aga Khan with Shahzeena and Serefeli in the two small-field conditions events.
Shahzeena beat three subsequent winners when scoring on her debut in Cork at Easter before disappointing behind Iveagh Gardens and Sunday’s Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up Found in the Athasi at the Curragh. Dropping in class, the Rosewell House filly might have the edge over Roca Rojo, a clear-cut winner on her recent debut in Killarney, in the Ladies Day Fillies Race.
Winner of a seven furlong maiden on this track on his debut, Serefeli is preferred to Jessica Harrington’s Killarney winner Buyer Beware in the one-mile rated event.
