Star Adventure can plot course to victory
The BetVictor Mares’ Bumper which brings day two of the Killarney festival to a close sees three last-time-out winners in opposition and Star Adventure can follow up her debut success.
Trained by Noel Meade, the Gold Well mare was impressive at Wexford, showing a good attitude and plenty of pace on her way to a comfortable success. This is considerably tougher, but she looks a smart sort in the making and is preferred to Snegurochka, who justified heavy support when winning at Down Royal, and Celine Soprano, who capped a sequence of placed efforts with a wide margin win at Wexford.
The Irish Examiner Handicap Hurdle is the penultimate race on the card and Lucky Phil can land the spoils for Tom and Bryan Cooper. The six-year-old made her seasonal debut in early June and ran a fine race to finish a close third behind Aunty Audrey.
She followed that up by filling the same position in a flat maiden just 11 days later and makes a quick return to jumping. She had some decent form last season, and both runs this term suggest she is up to winning races. This evening’s card looks like a good opportunity and she can take it at the expense of Grey Atlantic Way.
Stowaway Sarah can take the M D O’Shea Mares’ Maiden Hurdle for Pat Fahy and Rachael Blackmore. Placed in two of her six outings in bumpers, including last time out when third behind Star Adventure, she can take another step forward now going over hurdles, and this race doesn’t have great depth to it.
She can prove too good for point to point winner Honey Come Home and Tropical Storm, who was placed in both starts thus far in maiden hurdles. The opening race on the mixed card is the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race, over a mile, and Manjeer can earn a first win of the season by seeing off a couple of last-time-out winners.
Trained by John Oxx, who regularly saddles winners at this venue, the colt finished runner-up to subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas third Decrypt last time out, with subsequent winners Klute and Cnoc An Oir just in behind.
He remains open to improvement and can score at Manqoosh’s expense.
