A drop in trip could get Apricot Ice over the line at the Curragh on Friday evening.
Ger Lyons’ charge has finished runner-up in three of her four starts, including twice this season already, and wouldn’t be winning out of turn in the six-furlong fillies’ maiden.
The Bated Breath filly has bumped into a couple of decent Ballydoyle colts this year, most recently chasing home impressive newcomer Igor Stravinsky at Leopardstown 12 days ago.
She has travelled well into the straight on her last couple of starts but hasn’t quite seen out the seven-furlong trip.
It looks an obvious move to drop back now and she certainly appears to have the pace to operate at this distance.
With a mark of 84 she has just a pound to find with Emerald Banner according to the handicapper.
That Starspangledbanner filly has four runner-up efforts to her name and looks a touch more exposed.
Ebanza is talented but you’d have to question her attitude a bit after she threw away a winning chance in Gowran last time by hanging to her left inside the final furlong.
Ojw Legacy is another with recent solid placed form that has to be respected in a competitive heat but Apricot Ice looks capable of stepping forward now at this trip.
The featured QuinnBet Emerald Mile, worth €100,000, looks like a real puzzle but one that may be worth each-way support is the Joseph O’Brien-trained Karsavina.
The Ulysses mare filly makes her first start now for O’Brien having been in France and England.
She was highly tried, including running in last year’s 1,000 Guineas, and had some solid stakes form.
A mark of 90 could be lenient now as O’Brien has a terrific track record of improving these types of fillies picked up from abroad.
Galen is another O’Brien runner that looks to have a big shout on his return, in the seven-furlong maiden.
The Gleneagles colt was second on his sole start last season, over course and distance, and that form obviously reads well as he chased home City Of Troy then.
He had a few subsequent winners in behind that day and should be capable of running a big race if fit and ready on his return.
O’Brien saddles Barton Key in the opening auction series maiden and it would be no surprise if he left his initial run at Cork well behind.
The Starspangledbanner colt had no luck in running that day, when having a wall of horses in front of him, and should have learned plenty from the experience.
SELECTIONS
4.45 Barton Key
5.15 Apricot Ice (Nap)
5.50 Dance Night Andday
6.20 Galen (Dbl)
6.50 Benavente
7.20 Karsavina
7.50 Torivega
8.20 Alessia Fernanda
