Jan Brueghel will likely take some beating at the Curragh
Jan Brueghel and Sean Leavy win the Betfred St Leger for trainer Aidan O'Brien at Doncaster last September. Picture: Healy Racing
Four meetings make for a busy weekend in Ireland, but the quality, with the exception of the action on Saturday afternoon at the Curragh, is modest. Bellewstown hosts a National Hunt meeting and First Dare can go one place better than last year when she contests the Boardsmill Stud Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.
Liz Doyle’s now seven-year-old finished runner-up to Me Wee Bonnie Lass in this race in 2024 and there is nothing of that calibre in the line-up this time. The Beat Hollow mare got her turn when winning a handicap at Tramore and finished off the season with two decent efforts in better company.
Capable of running close to her best off a break, she can take this at the expense of Half Past Tipsy. The latter hasn’t always looked straightforward, and clearly wears a hood for a reason, but she ran well last time, when finding only Small Doses too good. Trained by Gavin Cromwell, who won the race last year and does well at this one of his local tracks, she has obvious claims but may struggle to get by a positively ridden First Dare.
Mic Drop can get back to winning ways in the Sean and Margaret McManus Memorial Maiden Hurdle. The six-year-old should appreciate running on a quick surface once more and is preferred to Scriabin and Queenie St Clair.
In the Curragh, Doncaster St Leger winner Jan Brueghel will likely take some beating in the Group 3 Tote.ie Alleged Stakes, a race in which Galen, who has been busy in Meydan, could run well at a much bigger price.
The Group 3 Lodge Park Stud Irish EBF Park Express Stakes is fiercely competitive, but Dermot Weld’s team is in good form and his Azada remains open to improvement and can land the spoils. Princess Child ought not to be good enough but her recent return to action suggested she could be better than ever this season and if that impression is correct, she could run well at a big price.
Gazelle d’Or was teak-tough at two, winning twice and being placed three times in nine outings, and given a healthy weight-for-age allowance, she has strong claims in the Download The Tote App Handicap.
Yaxchilian wasn’t exactly progressive last term but made an encouraging seasonal debut on what was also his first start for Ger O’Leary and can play a leading role in the sixth race.
Down Royal and Tramore host National Hunt meetings on Sunday and the nap goes to On Lovers Walk, who really ought to make the most of a good-looking opportunity in the Quinnbet.com Handicap Chase, which is the fifth race at the Waterford venue.
Thus far, winning inside the rails has proved beyond the two-time point-to-point winner, and he is certainly becoming frustrating to follow. However, if you isolate his form on good ground, it reads well and is consistent. He will get those conditions here today and the step up to almost two and three-quarter miles is also in his favour. If he is going to make his mark, this should be his day.
Cheerful Chap also deserves a change of luck, having finished placed in six of his seven chases to date, but may have to settle for a minor role once more.
In Down Royal, Getaways Charm should take beating in the opener, a mares’ maiden hurdle. Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old finished third behind Fiver Friday on her track debut and won’t have to make a huge step forward to land these spoils. Thatsjustme is an interesting track-debutant.
Pied Piper, who won twice on the Flat and four times over hurdles, makes his chasing debut in the Fibrus Gallop At Gigabit Speeds Beginners’ Chase and while he hasn’t been anywhere close to his best in recent spins, he won’t need to be to make a winning start.
1:30 Chortal
2:05 Mic Drop (nb)
2:40 First Dare (nap)
3:15 Imadpour
3:50 Bal Kauto
4:25 Le Bugiste
5:00 Coyote Spirit
1:30 Old Bridge
2:05 Scriabin
2:40 Half Past Tipsy
3:15 Howdoyalikeherhome
3:50 Tankardstown Diva
4:25 Aspurofthemoment
5:00 Ace Brannigan
1:15 Extravagant
1:50 No Alibi
2:20 Charles Darwin
2:50 Cuban Grey
3:25 Azada
4:00 Yaxchilian
4:35 Jan Brueghel
5:10 Gazelle d’Or
1:15 Green Sense
1:50 Spodo Komodo
2:20 Evening Blues
2:50 Emerald Harmony
3:25 Princess Child
4:00 Sugar Club
4:35 Galen
5:10 Sakakawea
1:55 Getaways Charm
2:30 Real Empire
3:00 Tell Nobody Nothin
3:35 Bella Union
4:05 Pied Piper
4:35 Banprionsa
5:05 Made In The Woods
1:55 Nastya
2:30 Mount Frisco
3:00 Love Like This
3:35 Stretchemout
4:05 Binge Worthy
4:35 Meyo
5:05 College Causeway
2:05 Qualimita
2:40 Soir De Garde
3:15 Fairyland Opera (nb)
3:50 Set The Tone
4:20 On Lovers Walk (nap)
4:52 In The Trenches
5:25 Prince Of Air
2:05 Russellsbelle
2:40 Dunkerque
3:15 Knockanleigh Girl
3:50 C’Est Rien
4:20 Cheerful Chap
4:52 Be Fierce
5:25 Single Edition
