FAIRYHOUSE open the gates for the second time this week tomorrow, with a €75,000 fillies’ Group Three, the seven-furlong Brownstown Stakes, as the feature.
Curragh handler Tracy Collins has booked British rider James Doyle for Majestic Queen and this represents a good opportunity for the mare, whose last outing was at the Curragh in May when, ridden by Doyle, she finished third to Mustajeeb and Maarek in the Group Two Greenlands Stakes.
The extra furlong here will certainly help her. It was over seven furlongs that she took the Chartwell Stakes, a Group Three at Lingfield in early May.
She looks a step or two better than this opposition and there are no Ballydoyle fillies in the race.
Ger Lyons might supply the danger in Ainippe, a Curragh winner last time when beating Newsletter last month.
In the two-year-old maiden which opens the card, there’s plenty to like about Fit For Function after his Leopardstown second to Play
The Game at Leopardstown 10 days ago.
He holds Fair City, five lengths in arrears, on that running. Haqeeba has a bit of experience and should run well again.
Curlylocks kept good company in two runs as a juvenile, finishing
third behind Words and Raydra at the Curragh, and was previously
behind Princess Nefertiti at Leopardstown.
If she’s straight on her reappearance she should make short work of the opposition in the seven-furlong maiden.
There is nothing rated over 79 in the field and it looks hers for the taking.
The rated race at the tail end of the card is a wide open four-runner heat, two of them from Ballydoyle.
There is nothing between the quartet at these weights. I’d have the Down Royal winner Botany Bay at a difference of 9lb from the less exposed Outspoken.
Oddly, apprentice rider Donnacha O’Brien is down on the official sheet of runners as claiming 2lb off Outspoken, yet in the previous race, the 12-furlong handicap, he is shown as claiming 5lb.
An error of some sort no doubt.
Verc could find a nice rhythm
VERCINGETORIX will attempt to redeem his slightly tarnished reputation in this evening’s Bellewstown Golf Course Hurdle, which kicks off the final stage of the
three-day July meeting.
Gordon Elliott’s French import made such a striking impression on his Irish debut that he was sent off at 9/4 for a Grade One at Leopardstown behind Petite Parisienne next time out, only to perform well below expectations.
He then came up short in a Grade Two at Fairyhouse, but has since made the frame at Ballinrobe and Gowran Park, so all may not be lost just yet.
It does happen with these French recruits, they lose their early initial form and have to wait to readjust.
The main danger to Vercingetorix is probably the Aidan O’Brien-trained Marchese Marconi, who has gone up to a mark of 138 despite disappointing at Fairyhouse and Punchestown in two competitive events.
Willie Mullins’s Aminabad has kept decent company and is a threat to both.
Smart chaser Rawnaq remains over the smaller obstacles and heads the list for the featured €26,000 handicap hurdle.
The Grade Two winner struck in this sphere at Down Royal last time out but will do well to concede weight to the likes of Rock On Fruity and Tempo Mac.
The locally-trained Eight Till Late is another whose chance can hardly be ignored and a serious case can also be advanced for Captain Carleton on the back of his display at the Curragh last weekend, when beaten half-a- length and a short head by Jocular and On A Pedestal in the mile-and-a-half apprentice Derby on the Friday night.
This return to hurdling could show him in good light
Winning pointer Phangio handled the switch back to hurdling with no fuss when a decisive victor of a Roscommon handicap last month and bids to defy a 12lb hike in the three-mile handicap hurdle.
A difficult task, but apart from the fact there is a maximum-sized field, it is a weak race.
Wandering Aengus ran well here last year in a three-mile hurdle behind Jarob and is 4lb lower this time around. He may account for Wexford winner Keep Swinging and Na Trachtalai Abu
Gold Class couldn’t quite justify market support when third at Down Royal but the assessor may have taken a chance in leaving him on the same rating and he tries to make amends in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle against Pace And Passion.
His stablemate Santo Prince boasts similar consistency but will probably find Flaviana too strong for him at a difference of 15lb in the two-mile-one-furlong maiden hurdle while Ruby Walsh and Grangeclare Rosa make a formidable combination in the three-mile version.
Ballydoyle’s Tesseract looks can follow up his bumper win at Tipperary a month ago.
He kept on strongly in the closing stages there to record a cosy victory and has stepped forward nicely on each of his runs.
The form of that race looks solid enough with the third finishing placed again since.
Get on the right Road with Bishops at Limerick
LIMERICK stages its Galway Plate Trial tomorrow with just eight runners. It is a trappy-looking contest, with the good-to-firm ground playing a big part in confusing matters.
Dedoctorsdaughter, at first glance, would appear attractive enough from down near the bottom of the weights but she’s actually 24lb higher here over fences than she runs off over hurdles. In that context, success here would be something of a surprise.
Noel Meade’s Protaras hasn’t shown anything like his best form for a while and was soundly beaten into third place behind Elegant Statesman and never Complain at Down Royal on his latest outing in mid-June.
Best Value has the most recent winning form. That was back here in May when beating Diamond Dame and Monelissio. That would hardly suffice off a 4lb higher mark.
Top weight Bishops Road beat Heathfield and Kilcrea at Leopardstown in January off a 7lb lower mark.
He has a 5lb claimer on board now and might take some beating, although his two most recent runs are far from encouraging.
Cootamundra has a place chance in what is really a dreadful contest.
Barry Geraghty makes his comeback in the saddle at tomorrow’s meeting after breaking a shin bone back in March at Downpatrick.
His first ride is on Waver for his new boss JP McManus in the rated hurdle.
This is wide open and I’d prefer Valyssa Monterg over Sizing Sahara and Geraghty (above) might have to wait a little longer for his first win as the McManus number one.
Geraghty rides Getting Late in the two-mile handicap hurdle, where Top Of The Town seems to have a big chance against Chief Of Panama.
Barry’s only mount in the three chases is on Hash Brown, a 132-rated hurdler in the beginners’ chase.
That has a nice chance and could get him off the mark in his new job.
A maximum field goes to post in the opening maiden hurdle but there’s not too many that you’d be seriously considering.
Whiskey No Ice is certainly of interest in first-time cheek-pieces, whilst another first is Boston Oscar’s debut over hurdles.
He showed a bit when third in a bumper.
Other contenders that should be to the forefront of any short-list are Josh’s Chance, Myles Ahead and Rocky Court. The 109-rated Myles Ahead just about gets the nod as his form seems the best on offer.
