Killarney tips: Sakti should prove tough to beat

There are two divisions of the Irish Examiner Handicap and Status Green can return to winning ways in the first of them

Wed, 17 Jul, 2024 - 06:55

Tommy Lyons

Wednesday is the last of the three days of Flat racing at the July festival in Killarney, before the National Hunt brigade takes over, and the feature race of the week to date is the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes. It looks quite competitive, but the unexposed Sakti will be hard to beat if, as expected, the step up to a mile poses no problem for Ger Lyons’ filly.

While it could be construed as frustrating that she finished second on all three starts of last season, on debut she ran subsequent Group 3 winner. Brilliant to a neck, ran subsequent Group 2 winner and French Guineas third Vespertilio to a length and three-quarters on her second start and pushed Caught U Looking to half a length in a Group 3 on her third outing.

She was off from that run in September until returning on the all-weather in March and duly obliged in a maiden in which runner-up Arnaman and third-placed Cill Mocheallog both won next time out. It is not ideal that the selection hasn’t run since March but that is seldom an issue with runners from the Lyons yard, and this exciting sort can resume with victory.

One of her more interesting rivals is the Joseph O’Brien-trained Adelaise, who can be forgiven her recent heavy defeat at Ascot as she led the near-side ground and went off too fast. Prior to that, she showed all the right qualities to win a listed race at Kempton and, from a good draw this time, could try to make all the running. If able to do so without blazing too quick a trail, she will go close.

If a break of 101 days is not too much of an inconvenience, Thequeitman will surely come home in front in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. On debut, in early April, the son of Farhh came off second best behind Ecureuil Secret and in the context of this race that form looks particularly strong as the winner was subsequently placed in two Group 3 races and is rated 100.

While Joseph O’Brien hasn’t had the first half of a season which he may have wished for, he has had a good start to this week, and this promising three-year-old can ensure that continues.

There are two divisions of the Irish Examiner Handicap and Status Green can return to winning ways in the first of them. Joe Murphy’s horse made the breakthrough when an easy winner of his penultimate start, in a nine-furlong handicap on soft ground at Tipperary.

Running off an 8lb higher mark on better ground and over half a mile further, at Ballinrobe, he enjoyed no luck in running but still ran a fine race to finish third behind Desert Friend. Dropping back to a mile and three furlongs is a good move, and the progressive sort is preferred to Barrogstown Girl.

Chopsticks can take the second division of the Irish Examiner Handicap. The four-year-old comes here on the back of two fine efforts and won’t have to improve too much to play a leading role in a competitive race.

KILLARNEY

4:45 Rick Dalton

5:20 Green Triangle

5:50 Thequietman (Nap)

6:20 Sakti (NB)

6:50 The World’s Astage

7:20 Status Green

7:50 Chopsticks

8:20 Whispering Hopes

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