Sport

Speaker to Master opposition

FOLLOWING a spate of recent cancellations elsewhere due to the wet weather, Dundalk’s all-weather poly track was invoked to stage an additional fixture on Monday and the €13k seven-furlong conditions race gets an enthusiastic response from trainers with four runners.

The quartet includes Yuften and Sir Isaac Newton, both well above average perormers for a Monday night fixture, boasting ratings of 108 and 107 respectively. Around this time last year, Sir Isaac Newton, a son of Galileo was being touted as a lively Derby contender but his only victory came in a Gowran Park maiden, although he wasn’t too far away in the Jersey Stakes before a less inspiring effort in a Group Two behind Custom Cut on Irish Champions weekend.

This race looked tailor-made for Sir Isaac Newton but there could be a party spoiler in the shape of Yuften, who was just touched off on his first start for Johnny Murtagh here by Russian Soul over six furlongs and is actually rated 1lb superior to Sir Isaac Newton. 

A possible fitness advantage now and Conor King retains the ride. Grey Danube and Geological complete the field but both look outclassed. Apart from Sir Isaac Newton, Aidan O’Brien has runners in the four other races, beginning with Caravaggio and Lundy in the opening two-year--old maiden.

As a half-brother to a Grade Two winner in the States, the former makes slightly more appeal. But even at this stage of the season the Ballydoyle juveniles appear dubious betting propositions. As underlined at Navan on Sunday, Lundy might be worth monitoring in the betting.

O’Brien’s Seventh Heaven might be interesting against Heartful and Jowana in the three-year-old fillies’ maiden. She displayed a fair amount of potential in maidens at Leopardstown and Newmarket in 2015 but has Classic entries and better might be reasonably expected this time in. Her stable companion Bravery has a clutch of big-race engagements too and could dominate the corresponding colts’ maiden.

In-form Murtagh’s Kasbah looked good when returning with a course and distance victory and bids to improve past joint top weight Togoville in the sprint handicap. They are closely handicapped and I’d prefer to side with ultra-consistent Master Speaker.

Pat Smullen has managed to get himself on Martin Hassett’s tough six-year-old and can emerge on top over Star Fire and course winner Lady Mega. Clare Cannon’s Coreczka bids for the hat-trick in the mile finale and has Our Manekineko and Master Chippy to deal with.

A Shin Impala, The Mouse Doctor and Power Grid, all last time out winners here, take each other on in the three-year-old mile handicap. This is a hard one to try and unravel but Fire Tree, Touch Of Gold and Markhan are worth considering.

NEVILLE RING


5.30pm: Lundy


6pm: Master Speaker (Nap)


6.30pm: Yuften


7pm: Seventh Heaven


7.30pm: Bravery (Dbl)


8pm: Fire Tree


8.30pm: Coreczka

NEXT BEST


5.30pm: Olympic Legend


6pm: Star Fire


6.30pm: Sir Isaac Newton


7pm: Heartful


7.30pm: Mittersill


8pm: Touch Of Gold


8.30pm: Our Manekineko