Ryan Moore travels to Dundalk on Friday evening for three rides and the trio all look to have leading chances.
Aidan O’Brien has won the 10-furlong fillies’ maiden on the card for the past two years and it looks significant that he gives the beautifully-bred Mother Nature her debut in the race tonight.
She is a daughter of sire sensation Justify and is out of a winning sister to the brilliant Minding.
It’s not surprising given her pedigree that she holds plenty of fancy entries and this looks a nice place to start her off on a decent surface.
Of those that have run, the Henry de Bromhead-trained Higher Leaves is probably the pick. The Golden Horn filly was third when last seen at Leopardstown in October.
She kept on nicely in the closing stages then over a mile and a step up to this extended 10 furlongs should be a help.
The first of Moore’s rides is Air Commander in the seven-furlong maiden and he may prove the best value of the trio.
This son of Kingman ran a nice race on his debut last season when second at Gowran Park but didn’t come forward from that on his subsequent outing.
Soft ground at Galway may not have been ideal though and the form of that race has worked out particularly well.
It looks significant O’Brien sends him here for his seasonal debut and a lot of the sire’s runners seem to be better on a sounder surface.
He won’t have it all his own way though against a few decent rivals.
The 87-rated Chicago Fireball was Group Three-placed as a juvenile and sets the standard.
Moore sticks around for the last race where he partners Hans Andersen in the mile-and-a-half conditions event.
The Frankel colt got through testing ground to win a Guineas trial first time up last year but struggled in deeper company in heavy going on his subsequent two outings.
He was described by O’Brien as a good ground horse after his win in Leopardstown so it makes sense that he comes here for a better surface first time this year.
His best form at two was on decent ground, including beating Al Riffa in a Curragh maiden, and having been a touch unlucky with underfoot conditions last term connections will be hoping for better this time.
This looks like a nice starting point as he doesn’t have to carry any penalties under the conditions.
SELECTIONS
4.55 Talia
5.30 Royalcorrespondent
6.00 Air Commander (Nap)
6.30 River Derwent
7.00 Daonethatgotway
7.30 Mother Nature
8.00 Emeric
8.30 Hans Andersen (Dbl)
