Um Wadi can build on early promise with Navan victory
Trainer Joseph O'Brien. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.
There was an unmistakable promise to Um Wadi’s first start for Joseph O’Brien, and she can build on it by taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies’ Handicap, the sixth race on this afternoon’s card in Navan.
An eight-race maiden in her native France, she joined O’Brien this summer and was thrown in at the deep end for her stable debut.
Contesting a premier handicap at the Champions Festival, she was out the back and caught wide most of the way, and as she tried to make progress she was forced to switch right and left and was unable to gain a clear passage.
At the line, she was in eighth place behind Pink Oxalis but was beaten just a touch over four lengths, and certainly much better than the bare result might suggest.
Entitled to be better for that run, she will find this far less competitive and can add another to the tally of Dylan Browne McMonagle in his quest for a first jockeys’ championship.
Stablemate Love Is Blind may provide the sternest test.
Fourth in both starts at two, she was off for almost a year prior to her recent return, and it was a successful one. With just three outings to her name, she can only continue to improve and should not be dismissed lightly.
Lunigiana is also a nine-race maiden and can also shed that status by taking the Buy Now & Save With The Real Deal Bundle Maiden.
Willie McCreery’s filly ran eight times as a two-year-old and finished in the first three on six of those occasions and was beaten half a length into fourth place on another.
Clearly, she deserved a change of luck and almost got it on her return to action, which came after nine months off the track.
Contesting a Curragh maiden just 10 days ago, she had a protracted duel with the race-fit Spodo Komodo and only went down by a neck.
Today’s ground conditions won’t be an issue and with some improvement expected, she can finally have her much-deserved day.
Glory To Be finished two places behind her at the Curragh and will do well to reverse the form, even if she, too, deserves a change of luck. Desert Power must give weight to all of her rivals and is feared more.
1:52 White Smoke
2:22 Lunigiana
2:52 Bay Of Supremacy
3:22 Ukiyo (nb)
3:52 Ex Animo
4:24 Um Wadi (nap)
4:55 Patrick Street
5:27 Sottsands
1:52 Ocean’s Breath
2:22 Desert Power
2:52 Believe In Glory
3:22 American In Paris
3:52 James J Braddock
4:24 Love Is Blind
4:55 Fleetfootsoldier
5:27 Searcog
