Almazann can get off the mark in Roscommon
Enceladus and Declan McDonogh (far side) win for trainer Joseph O'Brien from Almazann (Chris Hayes. Pic: Healy Racing.
Runner-up in all three starts, the Dermot Weld-trained Almazann should get off the mark in the Racing Here Again On September 28th on a Roscommon card which shares the Monday slot with jumps action in Downpatrick.
An Aga Khan-bred Zarak colt, he made his belated debut at Cork and ran a cracker, holding every chance before going down by a head to Enceladus, who has made significant progress in recent months, winning both the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 3 Gordon Stakes in Goodwood.
Almazann returned to action at Leopardstown in May and, this time, was outpointed by Cannes, with subsequent winners Count Bezukhov and Antigua filling third and fourth spots respectively.
We didn’t see this Rosewell House colt again two weeks ago when, over this course and distance, he failed to cope with another Joseph O’Brien-trained rival Magnum Cor.
Almazann stays well, will be suited by today’s softer conditions and, despite his high draw (17), is a confident choice to get off the mark.
Weld and Chris Hayes will also have high hopes for another Aga Khan colt, the lightly-raced, 103-rated Hazdann in the five-runner Lecarrow Race.
Winner of a Curragh maiden back in June 2024, he has only raced twice since, finishing seventh to Isaac Newton at Navan on his belated return to action back in early June.
Likely to strip fitter today, he sets the standard, but might struggle against Sinmara, one of three runners for Joseph O’Brien.
This Kingman filly impressed when winning a Gowran Park maiden by six lengths back in April before being highly tried in the ‘Athasi’ (finished fourth to Kensington Lane) and the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas (beaten ten lengths in seventh position behind Precise).
In her only subsequent start, Sinmara failed to make an impression in the ‘Cairn Rouge’, won by Meriden’, in Killarney.
But, in receipt of 8lb. from the only four-year-old in the field, Hazdann, she gets the vote.
The opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series 2-Y-0 Race is a cracker for a Monday evening, with the Ballydoyle maiden South Dakota, fourth in the Chesham’ at Royal Ascot but beaten twice since, conceding weight to his eight rivals.
But the one to beat might be 100-rated Ruler’s Control, who side-stepped Saturday’s ‘Round Tower’ at the Curragh to run here.
Winner of a Curragh maiden for Jack Foley, he then finished fourth to King Of Cloughan in the ‘Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot and, last time, was fifth (of six) behind Dr Rascal in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes in Goodwood, form boosted by the runner-up Haffner in the ‘Acomb’ in York.
Best bet in Downpatrick might be Sam Curling’s He Who Dares in the WillWeGo.com Handicap Hurdle.
Now 9lb. higher than when scoring at Wexford in early July, he has run creditably twice on the flat since, finishing a close fourth (off 60) to Boxing Great at Leopardstown last time.
4.50 Ruler’s Control
5.25 Whatswrongnow
5.55 Eddie G
6.25 Sinmara
6.55 Almazann (Nap)
7.25 Fratas
7.55 Minella Buoy
4.50 South Dakota
5.25 Givehertilxmas
5.55 Goal Exceeded
6.25 Hazdann
6.55 Cosmetic
7.25 Thyer
7.55 Canon Law
2.12 Eben Zaabeel
2.47 He Who Dares (n.b.)
3.22 Coded Welder
3.55 Cozone
4.29 Jabbar
5.04 Our Zebo
5.39 Rightfolksplease
2.12 Euro Agent
2.47 Granlahan
3.22 Majestic Horizon
3.55 Mickey Cohen
4.29 Killeemore Lad
5.04 Full Noise
5.39 Beggars Rock
