Sport

Neville Ring: Punters can agree on Knock

TRIPLE TILT: Wonder mare Treve set out on the road to an unprecedented third Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with an impressive victory on her eagerly-awaited return in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud yesterday. Making her first public appearance since defying her critics with a resounding second success in the Longchamp showpiece in October, Criquette Head-Maarek’s five-year-old delighted connections as she landed the odds in some style. Having travelled strongly throughout, Treve moved closer to the front from the home turn and once let down by Thierry Jarnet, quickly asserted to score by four lengths. Head-Maarek said: “I am delighted. I have to be, she’s done everything I thought she would, and she will improve a lot from the run because she spent three months on the farm during the winter and hadn’t run since last October. “Thierry said she was very relaxed throughout the race and I could tell from the look on his face when he came back in that he is as thrilled as I am.”
TRIPLE TILT: Wonder mare Treve set out on the road to an unprecedented third Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with an impressive victory on her eagerly-awaited return in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud yesterday. Making her first public appearance since de TRIPLE TILT: Wonder mare Treve set out on the road to an unprecedented third Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with an impressive victory on her eagerly-awaited return in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud yesterday. Making her first public appearance since defying her critics with a resounding second success in the Longchamp showpiece in October, Criquette Head-Maarek’s five-year-old delighted connections as she landed the odds in some style. Having travelled strongly throughout, Treve moved closer to the front from the home turn and once let down by Thierry Jarnet, quickly asserted to score by four lengths. Head-Maarek said: “I am delighted. I have to be, she’s done everything I thought she would, and she will improve a lot from the run because she spent three months on the farm during the winter and hadn’t run since last October. “Thierry said she was very relaxed throughout the race and I could tell from the look on his face when he came back in that he is as thrilled as I am.”
By Neville Ring

ALL-FLAT action on the first afternoon of Listowel’s two-day meeting and Knocknagree, a half-sister to Zoffany and running for the race sponsors, the Croom House Stud, has a great chance in the mile fillies’ maiden.

She didn’t look entirely straightforward on her comeback appearance at Leopardstown, but the Jim Bolger-trained runner is down massively in grade here and comes back in trip.

She raced much too keenly at Leopardstown but did go well over this trip as a juvenile.

She is now tried in a first-time hood and might be more relaxed, possibly out in front, in this company. Love Letter has shown bits of form but is clearly vulnerable to any useful type while Angel Bay was well held by a capable winner at Killarney and also needs to improve to win.

Takeachanceonme has recent form on testing ground over this trip and should be able to again place, while Crocosima, from the family of Tenby, failed to sell for 10,000gns as a yearling.

This really does look set for Knocknagree. Dermot Weld’s Sight Hound stood out in the three-year-old mile maiden from the entry stage. He has performed well in two 10-furlong maidens on soft ground recently and should be equally, if not more, effective dropping back to a mile here.

He travelled well in his race at Naas last time out and while he failed to maintain his effort late on, the winner then has since

run well in Group Three company.

Love Rosie has shown ability in two maidens but was well beaten in both and possibly needs to improve to win while Walkingonmoonbeams ran reasonably well on debut a fortnight ago and is open

to improvement.

Kirks Ryker himself improved on his second run recently while Avizare ran with some promise on debut but needs to come on further to win.

Boom Box is from the family of Lucky Guest and Son Of Sharp Shot but has a wide draw on debut which could be a problem.

Laviniad was on good terms with herself when winning at Gowran during the week and certainly looks capable of defying her 5lb penalty in the 60-90 mile handicap here.

Her trainer is more than happy to put Pat Smullen up again rather than use a claiming apprentice in an attempt to nullify the extra weight.

The handicapper raised her 11lb to 89 for her Gowran exertions and she has a comfortable 7lb in hand here.

My Painter and Seaforth might chase her home.