The Curragh tips: Albula looks all set to follow up debut success

Albula & Declan McDonogh win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden from Dabana & Colin Keane at Naas earlier this month. Picture: Healy Racing

Albula, making her second start in the Group 3 Manguard Plus Irish EBF Flame Of Tara Stakes, can initiate a double for Joseph O’Brien at the Curragh tonight.

She looked a smart sort when making a winning debut earlier this month in a Naas maiden. She was able to hold a prominent position from an early stage and picked up particularly well in the closing stages to win with plenty in hand. She will come into her own over further next year but should be too good for today’s rivals.

She’s Trouble can improve for the step up in trip and will go well but the most interesting of the selection’s rivals is Magical Lagoon, who was sent off favourite for that Naas maiden won by Albula. She was too keen and faded late but she’s a half-sister to the brilliant Novellist and it will be interesting to see how much market attention she garners for the rematch with the winner.

Toshizou can take the winner’s prize of almost €50,000 in the Irish Cambridgeshire. He didn’t quite scale the heights as a two-year-old but finished the season earning a mark of 98. He ran well on return and followed up by finishing a luckless fourth behind No More Porter on his handicap debut over today’s course and distance. He looks the type to progress into a Group-class performer and can take a step towards that with victory today.

The Group 3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes has attracted a 12-strong field and the fillies in the race can dominate the finish. Ladies Church, who was beaten on debut but won her next two, can complete her hat-trick. Her latest effort suggested the return to six furlongs could prompt further improvement and she is preferred to the unbeaten Sacred Bridge, who completed her hat-trick by taking the valuable Ballyhane Stakes on her most recent start.

CURRAGH

Tommy Lyons

4:15 Bluegrass

4:45 Albula (nap)

5:15 Shale

5:45 Ladies Church

6:15 Goodnight Girl

6:45 Toshizou (nb)

7:15 Howth

7:45 Fridjtof Nansen

Next best

4:15 Enthrallment

4:45 She’s Trouble

5:15 Champers Elysees

5:45 Sacred Bridge

6:15 Lord Dudley

6:45 Moddy Poddle

7:15 New Star

7:45 Hightown Heights

DOWN ROYAL

Tommy Lyons

3:55 Lunar Power

4:25 Dawn Of The West

5:00 Hurricane Alex

5:30 Son Of Hypnos

6:00 Go Another One

6:30 Finding Joy

7:00 Fanoir

Next best 

3:55 Realist

4:25 She Is A Contender

5:00 Brideswell Lad

5:30 Motown Maggie

6:00 Thosedaysaregone

6:30 Final Orders

7:00 Hi Stranger