Joseph O’Brien-trained Fastnet Crystal sets decent standard in Bellewstown
Lizzie Twigg & Jack Kennedy (blue coloours) jump the last to win the Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle from Fastnet Crystal (orange & white). Pic HEALY RACING.
Rated 121, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Fastnet Crystal sets a decent standard in the PANDA Mares Hurdle in Bellewstown.
The lightly raced five-year-old shaped with promise on her bumper debut, finishing a close second to Lennon Grove at Thurles last Christmas before disappointing and being virtually pulled up when favourite for a Punchestown bumper, won by How’s Hannah in January.
Off the track until mid-July, the Carriganog mare made a successful start over hurdles when scoring in a mares maiden in Downpatrick, beating Mercurial Sea emphatically.
But it’s her most recent piece of form which suggests this daughter of Crystal Ocean might be worth following as she finished a creditable second to the progressive Lizzie Twigg in a competitive ‘novice’ at the Galway festival.
Fastnet Crystal will have to justify her initial rating if she is to prevail in this seven-runner affair, against the likes of Dick Donohoe’s versatile mare Daboya and the Willie Mullins-trained Easter Bonnet, a smooth, all-the-way winner of a mares maiden in Cork and in the ‘could be anything’ category.
Today’s most valuable prize is for the €20,000 Bective Stud Mullacurry Cup Handicap Hurdle, a traditional feature at Bellewstown.
This looks competitive with Gavin Cromwell’s Final Orders, a seven-time winner over fences and last seen when seventh to I Am Maximus in the Randox Grand National in Aintree, an interesting contender off an attractive hurdle mark of 122, 16lb below his current chase rating.
But preference is for the top-weight Red Glory from the in-form yard of Henry de Bromhead.
Now 10lb. higher than when registering his most recent success, at Galway last October, Red Glory finished a close third to subsequent Guinness Galway Hurdle victor Putapoundinthjar on this track early last month (over a short trip) and last time filled fourth spot behind Fiveonefive at Galway.
Earlier on the card, the frustrating Whats New, a fourteen-race maiden over obstacles, might finally have her day in the Bet With Tote On Racing & Sports Maiden Hurdle.
Placed six times over flights, this four-year-old, who must concede weight to his fourteen rivals, bumped into the progressive Timurshah on the Monday of Galway, form boosted when the winner scored again, off a 13lb. higher mark, on the final day of the festival.
And he has been found a good opportunity to score here for Andy Slattery and the season’s leaing rider Darragh O’Keeffe, in double form at Ballinrobe on Monday.
3.51.Rocky’s Howya (n.b.)
4.25.Whats New
5.00.Steps In The Sand
5.35.Red Glory
6.05.Fastnet Crystal (Nap)
6.38.Direct Approach
7.08.Syosset
7.38.Blue Trix
3.51.Rich Belief
4.25.Thesilverbridle
5.00.Goin’
5.35.Final Orders
6.05.Easter Bonnet
6.38.Masego
7.08.Cinnabar Moth
7.38.Not A Whisper.
