Toy Soldier can march clear for Mallow trainer Maurice Ahern in Roscommon
Toy Soldier can justify the long trip from Cork to Roscommon by winning the Jimmy Murray Agri Services Handicap for Mallow trainer Maurice Ahern. Pic: Colin Gillen
Toy Soldier can justify the long trip from Cork to Roscommon by winning the Jimmy Murray Agri Services Handicap for Mallow trainer Maurice Ahern.
A strike rate of two wins from 23 career starts wouldn’t exactly inspire confidence but Toy Soldier, previously trained by George Scott in England, shaped well when fourth at Killarney last month and built on that effort when a close second at Down Royal 11 days go.
Dylan Browne McMonagle partnered the four-year-old gelding for the first time in Killarney and the fact the champion jockey is back on board for this assignment suggests a big run is anticipated.
And on the theory that he won’t have to improve on his Down Royal run to deliver here, he gets the vote.
Recent Leopardstown third Medieval Night can prove his biggest threat.
Elsewhere on the card, the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Adel can back up last month’s successful visit to Roscommon by following up in the Conor Cassidy Car Sales Handicap.
That breakthrough came when stepped up markedly in trip from a mile to a mile and a half and while it was a career-best effort, Adel ran more enthusiastically than ideal for that sort of distance.
Dropping back to 10 furlongs, which he does here, could prove the sweet spot.
The feature on the seven-race Flat card is the listed Watch Racing TV Irish EBF Lenebane Stakes where the Ross O’Sullivan-trained Chally Chute may be able to get the better of probable favourite Starford.
Victorious at 125-1 on stable debut in this race last year, Chally Chute then finished second in the Irish Cesarewitch at 66-1 before ending his season in style by winning the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh in November.
He returned to action earlier this month, finding only Layfayette too good in a listed contest at Limerick.
With that run under his belt, he should run another big race.
Starford won the Group 3 Alleged Stakes at the Curragh in April but was slightly disappointing when sixth in the Group 2 Huxley Stakes at Chester last time out. It’ll be no great surprise if he bounces back here but, at the likely prices, marginal preference is for Chally Chute.
Wexford hosts a seven-race jumps cards and the opening race, the Dunbrody Beginners Chase, looks a decent opportunity for Scalpnagoon to get off the mark over fences.
Twice successful over hurdles, the Gordon Elliott-trained six-year-old has ran some decent races in defeat over fences, most recently finishing third at Roscommon earlier this month.
This might be the day he gets his head in front over the bigger obstacles.
2.20 Scalpnagoon
2.50 Femme Magnifique
3.20 Shannon Bank
3.50 Menas Miracle
4.20 Future Prospect
4.50 In The Trenches
5.20 Costacurta
2.20 Nadia's Boy
2.50 Mic Drop
3.20 Sea Of Doubt
3.50 Teenage Kiss
4.20 Beauforts Storm
4.50 Rockstown Girl
5.20 Londonofficecallin
5.30 Sea Of Rain
6.00 Star Of Beauty
6.30 Toy Soldier (Nap)
7.00 Adel (NB)
7.30 Blackjack Hills
8.00 Chally Chute
8.30 Steel Cut
5.30 Ballyskeagh
6.00 Elusive Echo
6.30 Medieval Night
7.00 Ella's Gold
7.30 Vlhova
8.00 Starford
8.30 Ashikita
