Killarney tips: Aidan O’Brien’s Horoscope looks right prediction

Horoscope and Ryan Moore win for owners Smith, Magnier & Tabor and trainer Aidan O’Brien. Picture: Healy Racing

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Horoscope should return to winning ways in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race on the opening day of Killarney’s July Festival.

It’s the first of three Flat cards at the picturesque Co Kerry venue, to be followed by National Hunt action on Thursday and Friday.

Far from disgraced when tenth in the Britannia at Royal Ascot last time, Horoscope’s earlier form looks solid, initiated by a maiden success at the Curragh back in March.

Seventh to Poetic Flare in a Guineas Trial at Leopardstown, he then finished third to Lunar Space in the Tetrarch at the Curragh.

And he produced another creditable effort on his handicap debut, again at the Curragh, when a close third to Visualisation (subsequently second in a Royal Ascot handicap) in the Habitat.

Rated 101, Horoscope sets the standard here and, with Emmet McNamara in the saddle, should prevail.

Later, Paddy Twomey’s La Petite Coco will be expected to repeat a course win back in May (when beating subsequent Irish 1,000 Guineas fourth Belle Image) in the five-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Race.

Formerly trained by Andrew Kinirons, this Ruler Of The World filly was beaten a half-length by Willow in the listed Naas Oaks Trial last time and, expected to appreciate this step-up in trip, should be tough to beat.

Michael Halford and Ronan Whelan have a number of chances on the card and well-drawn Eagle’s Flight might prove the pick of their challengers, in the Gap Of Dunloe Handicap.

Winner of a Dundalk maiden (in December) and a Leopardstown handicap, he acquitted himself well off an 8lb. higher mark when fourth to Sirjack Thomas at the Curragh on Derby weekend, with today’s top-weight Nebo, an all-the-way winner at Fairyhouse last week, back in seventh.

A low draw is always a help over a mile in Killarney but Ronan Whelan will need a bit of luck along the way on this hold-up horse. But, if he gets the gaps, he should be tough to beat.

Meanwhile, action returns to Dundalk today and Kevin Coleman’s filly Queens Carriage, a course and distance winner in December, might be the solution to the opening five-furlong handicap.

This filly made a winning start to her 2021 campaign at Fairyhouse and, last time, finished a solid fourth to Atalis Bay in a listed event over in Sandown Park.

In the maiden action, Johnny Murtagh’s Safecracker, runner-up to Ballydoyle colt Interpretation at the Curragh last time, is marginally preferred to Aidan O’Brien’s consistent but luckless Malawi in the Hollywoodbets Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden over just short of a mile and three furlongs.

KILLARNEY

John Ryan

4.45 Piz Badile

5.15 Horoscope (Nap)

5.45 Tall Story

6.15 Eagle’s Flight

6.45 Citronnade

7.15.La Petite Coco

7.45 Cu Roi

Next best

4.45 Pimilco

5.15 Eylara

5.45 Magic Carousel

6.15 Roca Roma

6.45 Karatayka

7.15.Kalapour

7.45 Ben Siegel 

DUNDALK

John Ryan

1.00 Queens Carriage (nb)

1.35 War Hero

2.10 Puerto De Vega

2.45 Irish Chief

3.20 Tanseeq

3.55 Mulzamm

4.30 Safecracker

5.05 Chateau Musar

Next best

1.00 The Highway Rat

1.35 Irish Acclaim

2.10 Bears Hug

2.45 Chicago Black Hawk

3.20 Zahee

3.55 Designer Cailin 

4.30 Malawi 

5.05 Fallen Forest