Weekend tips: Baton Rouge can make a successful return to turf
Baton Rouge can make a winning return to turf at Naas having made a winning return to action on the all-weather in March. Picture: Healy Racing.
Baton Rouge can make a successful return to the turf in the Royal Ascot Trials Day May 16 Rated Race, the fifth race on today’s card in Naas, one of four meetings on a busy weekend.
The best of his juvenile form was a third place finish behind Thunder Moon, but he made a winning return on the all-weather, in March, and looked a much-improved sort in doing so.
That was over a mile and he looked as though the further he went the better and more authoritative he was. Today’s ten-furlong trip should bring about further improvement, and he can carry top weight to victory.
There is a National Hunt card today in Cork and Willie Mullins has strong claims in the first two. Farout won a race on the level in 2020, in France, and made his debut for this yard in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse in February. He wasn’t disgraced on that occasion and will take beating in the calmer waters of the Thanks To All Frontline Workers Maiden Hurdle.
Manitopark AA has been a frustrating sort to follow but has kept reasonable company and looks to have been found a winning opportunity in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Maiden Hurdle.
The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, the feature on tomorrow’s card in Leopardstown, looks a terrific race and Bolshoi Ballet can add this to his Ballysax victory of last week. Aidan O’Brien’s colt won well at the line but was arguably even more impressive than the winning margin. He looks a genuine Derby contender and can prove so with victory here.
Mac Swiney, who wrapped up his juvenile season by winning the Group 1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster, must be respected, while Southern Lights was impressive on return over course and distance, and another step up can be anticipated.
Annerville, who contest the Foxrock Fillies’ Maiden at Leopardstown, looks the best bet of the weekend’s four cards.
Johnny Murtagh’s filly was sent off a 40-1 chance on debut, in a ten-furlong maiden at this track, and showed signs of greenness through the early stages. She was still unsure how to race in the straight but once she saw a little bit of daylight and Ben Coen was able to apply a bit of pressure she picked up in eye-catching fashion.
The winner, Alazenya, is apparently highly regarded, while runner-up La Jocondo went into the race with a rating of 96. Beaten only a length and a quarter in total, Annerville is clearly a talented lady and can take this en route to better things.
Dermot Weld, who won that maiden with another Aga Khan filly, has an obvious danger in Sunniyra, who made decent late gains on his Curragh debut.
Killarney’s three-day May meeting gets underway with a National Hunt card tomorrow and Desir Du Large can make the most of a drop in grade to get off the mark in the ML Lynch Civil Engineering Maiden Hurdle.
Joseph O’Brien’s 2018 bumper winner was of the track for more than two years before contesting a Grade 2 at Naas, and after that respectable third-place finish behind Echoes In Rain, he went to Fairyhouse for a similar race and finished fourth behind the same horse. This is a huge drop in class for the eight-year-old and he can make it count. Off Your Rocco and L’impertinent can give him most to think about.
1:00 Celtic Times (nb)
1:35 Mi Esperanza
2:05 Pimlico
2:40 Insinuendo
3:15 Baton Rouge (nap)
3:50 Shahaada
4:25 Notoriously Risky
5:00 Mia Mento
1:00 King Of Bavaria
1:35 No Speed Limit
2:05 Kirsapp
2:40 Silence Please
3:15 Catena Zapata
3:50 Montego Bay
4:25 Coins Cross
5:00 Fastar
1:20 Farout
1:50 Manitopark AA
2:25 Saeer
3:00 Quirt Evans
3:35 General Counsel
4:10 Short Story Long
4:45 Stolen Moment
5:20 Kilbarry Chianti
1:20 Makfils
1:50 Monas Melody
2:25 Battle Of Benburb
3:00 Tiger Twenty Two
3:35 Meticulous
4:10 Get Home
4:45 Ask Dee
5:20 Malina Girl
2:00 Outlier
2:30 Desir Du Large
3:00 Rescue Package
3:30 Andratx
4:00 The Very Man
4:30 Trees Valley
5:00 Marshalled
5:30 Our Man Flint
2:00 Na Caith Tobac
2:30 Off Your Rocco
3:00 My Sister Sarah
3:30 Jon Ess
4:00 Cavalry Master
4:30 Millyinthemiddle
5:00 Ego Des Mottes
5:30 Baron Von Melas
1:45 Eaglefield
2:15 Ace Aussie (nb)
2:45 Climate
3:15 Bolshoi Ballet
3:45 Annerville (nap)
4:15 Federica Sophia
4:45 Sassified
5:15 Lord Of The Manor
1:45 Boldomero
2:15 Maker Of Kings
2:45 Acanella
3:15 Mac Swiney
3:45 Sunniyra
4:15 Tauran Shaman
4:45 Los Andes
5:15 King Of The Castle
