Skydance can soar in Gowran Park feature
Skydance got off the mark in the Look De Vega At Ballylinch Stud Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown in April. Pic: Healy Racing Photo
The Darley Irish EBF Hurry Harriet Stakes is the headline act at Gowran Park on Wednesday afternoon and Skydance is fancied to land the spoils for Willie McCreery and Billy Lee.
Winless in five starts as two-year-old, the Night Of Thunder filly got off the mark on her first start at three when getting the better of subsequent Oaks heroine Thundering On over a mile at Leopardstown in April.
On the back of a break following that win, Skydance was sent to Ascot for the Group 3 Valiant Stakes last month where she again ran a fine race to finish a close third behind Kon Tiki and Esna.
A marginal improvement on that effort would make her tough to beat here.
That said, this is a decent contest with Joseph O’Brien and Aidan O’Brien doubly represented.
Champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle partnering Lemsairbat suggests the Bated Breath mare is the main Carriganóg Racing contender but a record of one win from 20 starts is an obvious cause for concern.
Stablemate Star Performer, a Sea The Stars filly, is considerably less exposed having impressed when winning on debut at the Curragh last month and may prove the biggest threat to the selection.
Ballydoyle filly Classiest is also coming here on the back of a winning debut but that success came last October so she’ll need to be pretty smart to make a winning start to her three-year-old campaign off such a lengthy layoff.
Joseph O’Brien is also doubly represented in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden where Gliondar is fancied to build on a promising debut effort.
A son of Romanised, Gliondar has been gelded since going down by just a neck to Loughrea – who has won again since – at the Curragh in June and the experience of that un ought to stand him in good stead here.
Earlier, stablemate Citrus Springs can make it third time lucky in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden.
Only sixth of eight on debut at Listowel in late May, the daughter of Olympiad took a step forward while still looking a work in progress when second at Leopardstown last month. A similar step forward from that run to this should make her hard to beat here.
2.22 Mythical Rock
2.52 Citrus Springs
3.22 Pretty Omagh Girl
3.52 Skydance (NB)
4.22 Daboya
4.52 Gliondar (Nap)
5.22 Connova
5.52 Thegooseiscooked
2.22 Star Of Beauty
2.52 Not You Too
3.22 Alfred Tennyson
3.52 Star Performer
4.22 Navy Waters
4.52 Karrygrant
5.22 She's Ideal
5.52 Nephin Mountain
