Morning can mix it successfully in maiden
Jim Bolger’s Teofilo colt has earned an official mark of 97 and should be capable of opening his account in the finale on the first day of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival, the Clear Your Clutter With Done Deal Maiden.
Morning Mix raced only once as a juvenile, finishing a solid third to Intransive at Gowran Park in September, a race from which three Aidan O’Brien-trained stakes winners Aloft, Hans Holbein and Kilimanjaro have emerged.
A close fifth to Sandro Botticelli in an average Curragh maiden on his three-year-old debut, Morning Mix stepped-up in both trip and class last time, when dead-heating for second spot, beaten a half-length by Irish Derby hope Radanpour, in the listed King George v Cup at Leopardstown.
Reverting to maiden company, on fast ground, and dropping back to ten furlongs, Morning Mix sets a decent standard and gets the vote over Dermot Weld’s Gulf Of Poets, third to Sacrifical at Leopardstown on his only start, back in April, and Monolight.
Earlier, Bolger’s handicap debutant Salthouse, an impressive maiden winner at Leopardstown last time, might emulate stable-companion Wexford Town by landing the Ragusa Handicap off bottom weight.
Well-fancied when runner-up to subsequent winner and now 96-rated Rivers Of Babylon on her debut in Gowran Park, the Dermot Weld-trained filly might prove the answer to the one-mile Done Deal Classifieds Website Maiden.
Beaten two and a half lengths at Gowran, the daughter of Oratorio is open to plenty of improvement and can prove herself a smart prospect.
- Former apprentice jockey Matthew Hopkins has been disqualified for three years with immediate effect after being found guilty of backing and laying horses by the BHB.
