Listowel can be wonderful for Wie Wunderbar
Trainer Jessica Harrington. Pic: Evan Treacy/PA Wire.
Day two of the Listowel Harvest Festival could be a good one for Jessica Harrington as the veteran trainer has a number of chances across the eight-race Flat card.
Wie Wunderbar, who runs in the Kevin's Bar, Listowel/Exchange Inn, Ballybunion Handicap, is perhaps her most likely winner.
As her name indicates, the Sea The Moon filly is a German recruit where she was placed twice in three starts.
She got off the mark on her Irish debut at Naas last month, getting the better of Sinbad My Dad — who has since franked the form by winning at Clonmel — by a length and three-quarters.
On the face of it, a 5lb rise for that success doesn’t look excessive and Wie Wunderbar looks sure to put up a bold bid for a repeat success in the hands of Shane Foley.
Staying on the international theme, The Austrian ought to go close for Harrington and Foley in the Eric Browne Memorial Maiden.
A son of New Bay, The Austrian finished seventh of 15 on debut at Gowran Park in June but took a giant leap forward on his second start when powering home late on to finish a close second to Acula at the Curragh last month.
Given he still showed signs of greenness on that occasion, further improvement can be expected here and he fancied to make it third time lucky.
Stablemate Resurgence could be the answer in the Liam & Joan Healy Memorial Handicap.
Second and fourth in two starts as a juvenile, the son of Too Darn Hot was gelded over the winter and only returned to action at Navan earlier this month.
There he ran a fine race to only go down by a head to Chapel Lane. A marginal improvement on that run over a furlong further in trip would give him every chance of getting off the mark.
Monday’s Listowel feature is the John McGuire Handicap where the Dermot Weld-trained Handani ticks plenty of boxes.
Second at Naas on his sole start as a two-year-old, Handani also found one too good at Leopardstown on his first start this season before finishing a close third in the Curragh maiden won by Acula referenced earlier.
He got off the mark in a 21-runner maiden at Navan earlier this month and looks well treated off a mark of 84 for his handicap debut.
He hasn’t yet tackled 12 furlongs but the step up in trip looks more likely to be a plus than a hindrance.
While Listowel is the main show in town this week, there’s further Flat fare from Fairyhouse on Monday where the listed Castlebridge Consignment Blenheim Stakes is the headline act.
As it should be for a €50,000 contest, this looks a good race and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Marco Polo, who bolted up at Cork earlier this month, is fancied to get the better of the Ger Lyons-trained Livenka.
1.23 Dawnmore
1.53 Green Kite
2.23 Noble Irish
2.55 Resurgence
3.10 Wie Wunderbar (Nap)
4.05 Handani (NB)
4.40 The Austrian
5.12 Lauderdale King
1.23 Williamsburg
1.53 Majestic King
2.23 Keogie
2.55 Amplitude
3.10 Love Orchid
4.05 Day Trader
4.40 Glowing Account
5.12 Cooley's Mist
3.50 Eighteenth Smiles
4.25 Divine Legend
4.57 Moyassr
5.27 Mai Dahlia
5.57 Marco Polo
6.27 Bold Commander
6.57 Nouvel Espoir
3.50 Cudawudashuda
4.25 Almeiyda
4.57 Blues Emperor
5.27 Prevalence
5.57 Livenka
6.27 April Mist
6.57 Four Blondes
