The Scallionator can bounce back to winning ways at Cork
The Scallionator and Wesley Joyce win for trainer Mick Mulvany. Pic: Healy Racing.
Having been set some very stiff tasks since his maiden win at Listowel at the end of May, the Irish EBF Auction Series Race that kicks off proceedings at Cork Wednesday afternoon looks a far more presentable opportunity for The Scallionator to add to that success.
The Michael Mulvany-trained Calyx colt has run three times since that Listowel win, twice in Group 2 contests before tackling a Group 1 assignment last time out. An 80-1 shot in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, The Scallionator finished 16th, 12 lengths behind the victorious Great Barrier Reef.
Next up was the Railway Stakes at the Curragh where The Scallionator, this time a 50-1 shot, produced a career-best effort to finish fourth of seven, four and a quarter lengths behind Celeron.
On the back of that run, connections opted to return to the Curragh and roll the dice in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes where The Scallionator ran about as well as can be reasonably expected of a 100-1 shot to finish sixth of eight, seven lengths behind Sun Goddess.
Markedly down in grade on Wednesday, The Scallionator can put the experience gained from those three tough assignments to good use to get back to winning ways.
If there is to be a fly in the ointment, it’ll likely be Fighting Tears, a Lucky Vega filly who made the perfect start to her career when winning an 18-runner Curragh maiden last month, a race that got a timely form boost when runner-up Roeillaun won at Navan last Saturday.
With improvement likely, Fighting Tears ought to go close but The Scallionator gets the nod.
Dermot Weld can win the final two races on the cards courtesy of Almeiyda and Sherekiya.
A daughter of Zarak, Almeiyda runs in the Follow Us On Social Media Maiden where is fancied to make the breakthrough.
Well beaten on her first three career starts, she took a big step forward when going down by just a neck to Elusive Echo at Roscommon in June before again finding just one too good when second to Sindagan at the Galway festival.
Last time out, she was sent off the 2-1 joint-favourite at Roscommon where a seemingly disappointing run was explained when it emerged she had been struck into.
On that basis, she’s worth another chance and her runner-up efforts at Roscommon and Galway suggest it’s a matter of when, rather than if, she gets off the mark.
The finale, the Racing Again September 29th Handicap, looks a deeper contest than the penultimate race but Sherekiya has decent claims if the Camelot filly repeats the performance she produced when third, beaten just a neck, at the Curragh last month.
4.10 The Scallionator (Nap)
4.40 Marco Polo
5.10 Cashel Blue
5.45 Sarah's Choice
6.15 Whatswrongnow
6.45 Almeiyda (NB)
7.15 Sherekiya
4.10 Fighting Tears
4.40 Revelator
5.10 Real Encounter
5.45 Castilian Queen
6.15 She's On The Ball
6.45 Storm Ready
7.15 Navajo Point
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