Irish View

All eyes may be on Dundalk and the Curragh this weekend but I’m concentrating on Ballinrobe for my best bet where Brave Right bids to continue his upward curve in the 2m1f conditions chase. Leonard Whitmore’s charge has only had two starts over fences but has already achieved a level of form that gives him a leading chance here and the manner of his latest success at Galway was taking. A very consistent sort who is yet to finish out of the frame in 11 starts under rules, he possesses plenty of gears for a chaser and will be at home on the ground. His jumping is a slight concern as he took a few chances at Galway but he should improve for the experience and the fences at Ballinrobe are far from testing. Corrieann beat Brave Right on his chasing debut and looks an obvious danger but her 4 wins have come on good ground or faster and she is unlikely to be suited by cut. Whataboutya has all the appearances of a stayer and is likely to get tapped for toe at this trip while both Arc En Ciel and Star Horse are bridle horses who struggle to get their heads in front.

Pattern Horse

Peppertree Lane was taken out of the Ebor on the morning of the race due to the ground at York going against him and his late withdrawal could well pay dividends when the Mark Johnston stayer takes his chance in the Ballycullen Stakes over 1m6f at the Curragh on Saturday. The 4yo has a really impressive strikerate on ground that is soft or worse, with his record reading:1151111 and has already proven himself over course and distance. His form looks a good way clear of the remainder, all of whom have plenty of questions to answer. Vision Of Grandeur looked a really progressive sort when completing a three-timer earlier in the summer but he’s been off for almost three months and all of his wins have come on good ground or faster. He’s also stepping up in trip, as is Hasanka who just failed to land a monster gamble for the Oxx yard at Cork last time. This is a much tougher race for the Kalanisi filly and I’m not convinced she’s the most genuine – she came to win her race at Cork and wasn’t able to put it to bed and has flashed her tail in the past. Galistic won a very weak renewal of the Challenge Stakes last time while Red Molony last win came off a mark of 87 so plenty of improvement will be required from him and this is half a mile further than he’s run over before.

Curragh Saturday

The Futurity Stakes looks a duel between Henrythenavigator and New Approach and I’m not altogether convinced the bookies have got them the right way around in the betting with the Bolger colt as favourite. New Approach has looked a solid professional sort in both his wins to date without suggesting that he’s anything out of the ordinary and he seems to have become something of a hype horse. The son of Galileo has followed the same route as Teofilo last term but he’s yet to do anything to suggest he’s in his former stablemate’s league. He showed signs of temperament last time at Leopardstown and the form of that win hasn’t worked out with the runner-up Brazilian Star being notably disappointing since. Henrythenavigator on the other hand is already a Group 2 winner and is sure to improve for going back up in distance today. The 6f trip and the really bad ground caught him out last time in the Phoenix Stakes when Saoirse Abu got the run of the race along the rail and the ground this time is unlikely to be as testing. His yard has won 5 of the last 8 runnings of this event and he looks the form choice so quotes of odds-against are fair.

The fillies’ maiden over a mile is an interesting affair, not least because it brings together a ragtag of some of the more dodgy characters racing on the flat in Ireland. Diamond Necklace, Regalline and Silk Dress have all had ample opportunity to break their duck at this stage, with a combined total of 24 starts between them without a win. Katirisa would be the pick of these on this year’s form as she’s run with credit against Peeping Fawn (before that one made her leap to superstardom) and the progressive Many Colours but her own attitude may not be the best. John Oxx resorts to first-time blinkers with her and that his rarely an encouraging step with him. As such, I like the claims of Queen Of France who ran a cracker to split a pair of listed-placed fillies on her debut last term. She was disappointing next time in the Rockfel but that is easily forgiven as such company was beyond her and she is proven both on bad ground and after a break. David Wachman won the race last term with Paris Winds and it would be no surprise to see him repeat the dose here.

The valuable Tattersalls Sales Stakes has been won by some smart sorts in Wake Up Maggie, Majestic Desert and Tout Seul in recent years but this year’s renewal looks a poor one with just 4 winners declared. As such it’s unlikely to take much winning and perhaps John Berry’s Diktat filly Imperial Decree can come home in front. She was an impressive winner last time despite running green last time and has plenty of scope to improve. By Diktat, she’s likely to handle the ground and is well-drawn in stall 4. The handicaps looks difficult but Jim Bolger has a fine record when bouncing his three-year-old handicappers out again under a penalty after a recent win. Malande fits the bill in the 2.55 after winning at Tralee during the week and she has already proven herself on this sort of surface.

Meeting Review – Leopardstown, August 19^th

Positives: Katiyra was subject to plenty of encouraging reports prior to her win in the 7f Fillies Maiden and the professional style of her victory caught the eye. Any juvenile who can win first time of asking from these quarters generally has a bit of quality about them. The time of the 7f handicap won by Many Colours was fast relative to the rest of the card and Jim Bolger’s filly won for the third time in as many starts over 7f around a turn. She looks a leading contender for the premier handicap run over course and distance on Champion Stakes Day and is likely to be suited by faster ground as she’s by Green Desert. Magic Carpet ran a cracker on what was just her second start in the 9f listed race won by Baby Blue Eyes and David Wachman’s filly is one who can continue to run well in this sort of company. She’s another filly that likes it quick on top. Satu turned out to be the handicap blot I expected in the closing race over 9f and he looks the type to go on to better things. David Myerscough’s charge was keen in the preliminaries but settled beautifully in the race itself, winning with more in hand than the official margin suggested. The 9lb hike he’s taken in the weights since is unlikely to anchor him and he looks sure to make a bold bid in the Cambridgeshire at the Curragh next weekend.

Negatives: Domestic Fund justified strong market support into evens to win the 7f maiden but his success was anything but impressive as he just held on by the narrowest of margins. The horses he’s previously beaten easily, in particular Houston Dynimo, have been getting a lot closer to him lately, suggesting he hasn’t really progressed. Dermot Weld intends to up him into group company next time but that could just be a bridge too far. Nastrelli has the scope to win a handicap off his current mark but he finished placed for the fourth time in 5 runs this season and simply isn’t putting it all in. He travelled well only to find nothing and isn’t one to trust. As expected, the mile trip in the Desmond Stakes stretched Haatef’s stamina and he looks one to oppose even dropped in distance. He’s yet to run within 10lbs of his Dewhurst form last term, and back at 7f and in particular 6f he’s going to have to contend with the crack English horses that raid our top sprint events.

Pointers: Bill Farrell has his small team in good form at the minute and sent out his second winner in a week with Sedna here. His entries are worth noting in the coming days. The form of the Tote Galway Mile got another boost when Baby Blue Eyes won the listed event for fillies, and this followed on the back of recent wins for Jumbajukiba and Incline. The horses that finished in close proximity to those runners in Galway – Crooked Throw, Absolute Image, Moody Tunes, Celtic Dane and Tango Foxtrot – are likely to be competitive in the coming weeks.