AIDAN O'Brien's Declarationofpeace should be hard to beat in the opening five-furlong juvenile maiden at Dundalk tonight.
The tongue-tied War Front colt ran third behind Romanised and Brick By Brick on his Navan debut last month when sent off favourite. Romanised, in turn, has already been pencilled in for the Coventry Stakes by Ken Condon.
With that experience under his belt, Declarationofpeace looks the part here in what looks a lesser heat, although Summerseat Mist has displayed enough to win an ordinary maiden on what will be her third attempt and newcomer Treasuring might be respected in the Qatar Racing colours.
Godolphin’s Ice Canyon proved exasperating when failing to win in six outings last season and tries five-furlongs here for the first time. He boasts an 85 rating but could be vulnerable to Willie McCreery’s Shamasdal newcomer Beaming, also in the Godolphin livery. You could imagine Fasuba being a factor too after his April third here behind Red Sabor and Yulong Xiongyin.
The hat-trick-seeking Burn The Boats could be popular in the mile handicap, but he has to defy a 9lb rise in the weights. Rosenberg Rider and Elusive Approach come here on the back of improved recent efforts, while Rummaging put in a good run last time at Limerick when sixth behind Shannon Soul, beaten just over one-and-a-half lengths.
The booking of Pat Smullen for Carrigeen Prince catches the eye and Coreczka is another outsider with a life. Rummaging will take beating.
Dermot Weld's Light Laughter is worth siding with in the seven-furlong fillies' maiden.
She wasn't beaten far by the very smart Hydrangea when last seen in August at the Curragh and this looks an ordinary little maiden well within her scope, I’d imagine.
Support for the likes of Kiss The Wind – one of three runners in the race for Ger Lyons – Ballydoyle’s Smoulder and McCreery’s Faradays Law can be expected and Smoulder, a half sister to Legatissimo might be Light Laughter’s danger
Trainer Georgios Pakidis speaks highly of Our Max's ability, but his reluctance to set off on terms from the stalls, makes supporting him a risk you don’t have to take. The Tote are not as accommodating these days as they were in years gone past when you could invest after the start was called. He has his chance though, off a mark of 50, in the 45-65 seven-furlong handicap. So too do the likes of Dany Rock, Usa, Arlecchino’s Rock and Tom Dooley.
Hailstone was impressive in Limerick but has gone up 9lb, a fact which inhibits his prospects of following up in the seven-furlong three-year-old handicap against Settle For Bay.
Mydor, Pirolo and Repare Mon are the top three with chances in the concluding two-mile handicap.
Neville Ring
5.45 Declarationofpeace
6.15 Beaming
6.45 Rummaging (Dbl)
7.15 Light Laughter (Nap)
7.45 Hailstone
8.15 Dandy Rock
8.45 Mydor
Next Best
5.45 Summerseat Mist
6.15 Fasuba
6.45 Coreczka
7.15 Smoulder
7.45 Settle For Bay
8.15 Usa
8.45 Repare Mon
ENDS
