Friday tips: Volarossa can cope with drop back in trip to get off the mark

Willie McCreery’s free-going, 90-rated filly Loveday will be trying to make it fifth-time-lucky in the five-furlong Irish EBF Auction Series Fillies 2-Y-0 Maiden at Cork.

Fri, 23 Jul, 2021 - 00:30

John Ryan

Willie McCreery’s free-going, 90-rated filly Loveday will be trying to make it fifth-time-lucky in the five-furlong Irish EBF Auction Series Fillies 2-Y-0 Maiden at Cork Friday.

With Nathan Crosse claiming 5lb., the Bungle Inthejungle filly will lead her rivals a merry dance. But she could be vulnerable to a late challenge from Joseph O’Brien’s Volarossa, still green, despite barrier-trial experience, when fourth behind Pennine Hills and Concert Hall on her racecourse debut in Fairyhouse.

The winner filled second spot in a listed race in Naas on Wednesday while the runner-up won a hot Curragh maiden last weekend. And, if Volarossa steps forward from her Fairyhouse run and copes with the drop back to five furlongs, she might turn over Loveday.

Although disappointing on her three-year-old debut behind Logo Hunter over this course and distance, the Ger Lyons-trained Frenetic might defy top-weight in the Doneraile Handicap.

Winner of two listed races at the Curragh last year, this filly’s maiden-winning form is seriously impressive – she beat classic winners Mother Earth and Snowfall in a Navan maiden, with No Speak Alexander (a Group 3 winner and third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas) and recent Curragh Group 2 scorer Mooneista further behind.

Meanwhile Master Of Reality will be expected to repeat last year’s victory and confirm his superiority over Barbados in Her Majesty’s Plate, a listed event in Down Royal.

Joseph O’Brien’s six-year-old, fourth in the 2019 Melbourne Cup and only fifteenth in the Flemington showpiece last November, landed this prize twelve months ago, when beating Barbados readily by three and a half lengths. He meets that rival on 3lb. worse terms this time and, on official ratings, has 1lb. to findt.

Master Of Reality started his 2021 campaign with a half-length second to the progressive Baron Samedi in the Vintage Crop in Navan but then disappointed when only fifth behind Emperor Of the Sun in the Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes in Leopardstown.

In contrast, Barbados, third to Shanroe in a Curragh handicap on his seasonal debut, finished eighth to Stratum in the marathon Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot last time. In what should be a cracker Master Of Reality should tough it out.

CORK

John Ryan

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