Sport

Newton can lighten the load

 Picture by PA
 Picture by PA  Picture by PA

BALLYDOYLE’S Sir Isaac Newton tries to get his resurrect his career in the Listed TRI Equestrian Silver Stakes at the Curragh this evening where the first race is scheduled to start just 10 minutes before the ‘off time’ of the Epsom Derby.

Considering he was a leading Derby fancy a little over a year ago, the son of Galileo has been a big disappointment, going under at Royal Ascot and Leopardstown before being turned over at odds of 2/5 on his Dundalk comeback in April. He finished second to Yuften that night, beaten nearly five lengths over seven furlong.

The hood that was applied that day has been removed but there wasn’t a great deal to enthuse about the performance and there has to be a suspicion that time is running out for Aidan O’Brien’s four-yearold, particularly if he cannot see off the likes of top handicapper Portage and unknown quantity Chemical Charge, unbeaten in two outings for Ralph Beckett but not seen out since November of 2014, in this 10-furlong event.

It is a race that the layers will treat with some degree of caution. Just six days on from springing a major surprise in the Group Three Lacken Stakes at Naas, Only Mine is turned out quickly, against her own sex this time, for another Group Three, the six furlong Ballyogan Stakes.

While she gets weight from her elders, that Naas victory means Joe Murphy’s filly has to concede 3lb to her fellow three-year-olds, including Sir Mark Prescott’s visitor Marsha.

A Dundalk winner, she upped her game considerably last time at Newmarket when beating Show Stealer and overnight became a 100-rated filly.

Fort Del Oro looked very good on her return to action when winning at Naas but struggled a bit stepped up in grade for the Greenlands. She looks capable of better than last time and could be a big danger to the selection on this faster surface.

Ainippe is interestingly dropped back to six furlongs now but the fact that she has to give weight away all around looks a tough task. Fort Del Oro may give Only Mine plenty to do.

Grand Coalition was no match for a couple of exciting juveniles on his debut here but that experience will stand him in good stead for the opening two-year-old maiden.

He takes on three O’Brien newcomers, as well as Ger Lyons’ €135,000 yearling Jack Flash.

Lyons will be hoping that Sandstorming can build on his introductory Naas fourth in the 12-furlong maiden, but once again some interesting Ballydoyle debutants – namely Big Ben and Treasure Chest -–stand in his way, with the standard set by Jim Bolger’s 92-rated Stellar Mass.

Despite going up 12lb for his runaway Navan success, Hint Of Frost still has bottom weight in the more competitive three-year-old ten furlong handicap, Newsman and the improved The Mouse Doctor could stretch him.

Easy Cork winner Falcao soared 10 lb for that and tops a 20-strong list for the six-furlong sprint handicap, but his opposition includes fellow last-start scorers End Play and Hatton Cross but the one to beat is