Summer Is Tomorrow to shine at Mallow
Summer Is Tomorrow has run to a high level on each of his last four starts. Pic: Healy Racing Photo
Cork’s final Flat meeting of the season takes place on Tuesday and Summer Is Tomorrow is fancied to land the feature contest, the listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Navigation Stakes.
Twice successful in six starts as a juvenile, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Mohaather colt took a while to hit his stride this season but has run to a high level on each of his last four starts.
Having gone down by just a neck to King Of Earth in a premier handicap at the Curragh on Irish Derby day, Summer Is Tomorrow was again just touched off at Navan in July, this time coming off second best to South Island.
On the back of those two fine efforts, Summer Is Tomorrow was sent off a 30-100 favourite to win a weak Gowran Park contest in July and duly bolted up.
Last time out, back at the Curragh for another premier handicap at the Irish Champions Festival, Summer Is Tomorrow fared best of the fancied runners to finish a close fourth to Orandi.
A marginal improvement on that run would give him every chance of bagging this prize.
On official ratings, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Action is the one to beat and his second to subsequent Juddmonte International victor Item in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York in May is the strongest form on offer.
However, he has been used for pacemaking duties for better-fancied stablemates in Group 1 company ever since and has had a gruelling campaign as a result. Were he to be able to bounce back to winning ways here, it would be a huge tribute to his constitution.
For that reason, Caught U Sleeping is feared more. A listed winner at Naas in May, she has run to a high level in four subsequent starts, notably when third to Believed in a Group 3 at Cork last month. Another big run can be anticipated here.
Johnny Murtagh, whose Latin America can’t be dismissed in the feature, has a host of chances across the card, mostly notably Pink Venom, who may be able to defy a 9lb hike for last week’s Fairyhouse win when he contests the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery Handicap.
Stablemate Flash Of Fire can strike for Murtagh in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap.
Previously trained by James Ferguson, Flash Of Fire finished fourth at Punchestown earlier this month and she may be able to burn off her Mallow rivals if the application of cheekpieces has the desired effect.
The Michael Mulvany-trained Cause I Like You can help push Billy Lee a step closer to a first jockeys’ title by winning the finale, the Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel Handicap.
Victorious at Killarney in July, the Dandy Man filly finished second at Cork at the end of August before bouncing back from a poor run at Navan at the start of last month to again finish runner-up at Gowran Park last time out.
Should she run to that level here, she ought to go close.
CORK
Darren Norris
1.55 Bold Commander
2.25 Pink Venom
2.55 Flash Of Fire
3.25 Akashaa
3.55 Summer Is Tomorrow (Nap)
4.25 Golden Ring
4.55 Playin Cool
5.25 Cause I Like You (NB)
Next best
1.55 Sonny Hayes
2.25 Howlin Wolf
2.55 By The Lake
3.25 El Fontenaro
3.55 Caught U Sleeping
4.25 Gods Love
4.55 Karrygrant
5.25 Medieval Night
