IRISH DERBY weekend kicks off with a reasonable card at the Curragh on Friday, where the €50,000 Ragusa Handicap is the highlight and Sempre Medici, trained by Willie Mullins reverts to the flat in this 12-furlong contest.
A Listed performer when trained in France, the five-year-old has developed into a classy novice hurdler for Mullins, who plundered a big handicap at Royal Ascot last week with Clondaw Warrior. That Ascot Stakes winner went up 6lb to 95 for his half-length victory.
Heading the opposition to 93-rated Sempre Medici is Jim Bolger’s lightly-raced and lightly-weighted Leopardstown winner Salthouse, but this is ultra competitive and Shalaman, Golden Spear and Coolfighter are just three others who need to go on the shortlist.
Salthouse was having his third run when taking his maiden and is the only three-year-old in the line-up. His 92 rating is severe enough, albeit he beat Dream Craft by five lengths and that one was slaughtered by Pour Deux in a fillies’ maiden at Naas the other night. But third behind Sempre Medici and Dream Craft in the Leopardstown race was Ulster Derby winner Botany Bay.
Yet fifth placed Torrey Pines will surely struggle in the 10-furlong maiden tonight, the final race, against such as Morning Mix and Gulf Of Poets.
Salthouse’s age group has won this race four times in the last five years, including the last three runnings and Bolger was responsible for last year’s victor, the 83-rated Ulster Derby winner, Wexford Town off 88.
The handicapper has taken no chances with Salthouse but the weight-for-age scale favours the three-year-olds from now on in these distance handicaps and Sempre Midi might not concede 15lb to a younger, improving colt, rated just 1lb below him.
Aidan O’Brien launches a twin-pronged assault in the DoneDeal Apprentice Derby, and On A Pedestal is preferred to Waver after an encouraging return when second at Limerick last week. Bolger’s Alertness is interesting here although she only boasts a rating of 76 in this rated race.
Only beaten a length at Roscommon by Father Christmas earlier in the month, that form was given a bit of a tonic when the winner ran third, beaten two lengths overall, behind Balios, in the Group Two King Edward V11 Stakes.
The Irish handicapper took that result seriously, raising Father Christmas 22lb for the run, taking him from 86 to 108.
Alertness still languishes on the bottom weight in a rated race still in the cocoon of her 76 rating. I thought she’d nearly get through but it is a strange contest.
Ballydoyle is double-handed in the opening seven-furlong two year-old maiden, with the newcomers Alice Springs (Heffernan) and Kind Of Magic (O’Donoghue) both having plenty to recommend them pedigree-wise.
Purple Velvet and Siamsaiocht are other interesting debutants, with the standard set by Jessica Harrington’s Miss Gossip, who was third in a warm Leopardstown maiden.
Eshera chased home subsequent winner Rivers Of Babylon on her Gowran Park introduction, and Dermot Weld’s filly has more scope for improvement than likely chief rival Aared in the mile maiden.
Calm Bay and Shipyard fought out the finish to a Down Royal handicap last weekend and make a swift return to action in the six-furlong sprint. Shipyard has a 2lb pull this time in a stronger race. I thought Captain Cullen has a stronger chance against Anonymous Lady.
NEVILLE RING
5.25pm: Alice Springs
5.55pm: Eshera
6.25pm: Captain Cullen (Dbl)
7pm: Alertness
7.30pm: Salthouse (Nap)
8pm: Multiculture
8.30pm: Morning Mix
NEXT BEST
5.25pm: Purple Velvet
5.55pm: Pelponnesus
6.25pm: Anonymous Lady
7pm: Eshtiaal
7.30pm: Sempre Medici
8pm: Fact Or Folklore
8.30pm: Gulf Of Poets
