Blue Trix the fancy as students set to flock to Tramore
Trainer Willie Mullins points the way at his stables. Pic: Healy Racing
A big crowd is expected at Tramore on Thursday for the Waterford venue’s annual student raceday where the feature, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle, can go the way of the Willie Mullins-trained Blue Trix.
Only seventh on debut at Kilbeggan at the start of last month, the five-year-old Blue Bresil mare stepped forward from that initial effort to finish third at odds of 50-1 at Downpatrick over two and quarter miles a fortnight later.
On that occasion, a mistake at the third last flight put her on the backfoot but she showed a good attitude to rally from the final obstacle, improving her position from sixth to third.
In doing so, she gave the impression a step up in trip would see her to better effect. She gets that in this two and a half mile contest and she may be able to improve sufficiently to turn the tables on the Henry de Bromhead-trained Tutu Twist, a horse who finished second in the aforementioned Kilbeggan race last month.
Dungarvan trainer John Queally can also visit the winner’s enclosure with Rattledelatch fancied to land the spoils in the Waterford Greenway Beginners Chase.
Winless in four starts over hurdles, the five-year-old made an encouraging start to life over the bigger obstacles when chasing home Kasper Hauser at this track in August before again running well when fourth to smart prospect Love Me Tender at Listowel last month. He may not have to improve on that effort to get off the mark here.
Tramore is not the only Munster-based meeting on Thursday as racing returns to Thurles for the first time since the week before the Cheltenham Festival.
Thursday’s meeting, the Tipperary venue’s sole Flat meeting this year, is an eight-race card and King Christoph looks the one to beat in the featured Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden.
A promising second to Magna Victoria on debut at Listowel last month, the Andy Slattery-trained King Of Change gelding can go one place better here.
Elsewhere on the card, Cladach can finally get his day in the sun by winning the Killinan Handicap. The Joseph O’Brien-trained Dark Angel gelding has been running creditably in recent weeks without winning, finishing third twice and second twice in four starts since the start of last month. He steps up markedly in trip on Thursday and, if he stays, he may finally get his win.
1.16 Chattering Classes
1.51 King Christoph
2.26 Starflow
3.01 Duchess Anne
3.36 Glen Echo
4.11 Cladach (NB)
4.43 Sunny South West
5.20 Blissful Bonita
1.16 Silver Kiss
1.51 Dawnmore
2.26 Blue Panther
3.01 Glamazon
3.36 Ms Messi
4.11 The Austrian
4.43 Teofil
5.20 Granville Street
2.10 Llem's
2.45 Lanzhou
3.20 Blue Trix (Nap)
3.55 Way Down South
4.30 Farrokh
5.05 Rattledelatch
5.35 Colossal Impact
2.10 Asthelightdeclines
2.45 Tingarran Express
3.20 Tutu Twist
3.55 Brave Josee
4.30 Leave In Secret
5.05 Moonlight Paradise
5.35 Josh's Jury
