SUNDAY'S MEETINGS: IN CONTRAST to his ground headaches with Sea The Stars this season, John Oxx will be hoping for more rain this weekend to help Rayeni get back on the winning trail at the Curragh tomorrow.
The Aga Khan’s colt is a confirmed mudlark whose career high to date came in May’s Irish 2,000 Guineas when he chased home Mastercraftsman.
Oxx’s gamble to leave him off for the summer to avoid hard summer ground hardly came off but there was reasonable encouragement in Rayeni’s comeback when fourth to Border Patrol over seven furlongs.
Now he drops back to six furlongs for the Testimonial Stakes, one of three Listed races on offer at headquarters.
Rayeni is up against proven Group class sprinters like Snaefell and Le Cadre Noir but Oxx’s decision to drop him back to sprint distances looks significant and a bad weekend of weather will only boost his chances more.
Trojan War looks a Ballydoyle horse to be on the upgrade in a serious way and the Galway and Down Royal winner is taken to graduate to Listed level in the Finale Stakes.
Johnny Murtagh’s decision to partner the Montjeu colt over other stable companions with much higher ratings looks one to bear in mind.
Noll Wallop makes the second start of his career in the concluding maiden and Tommy Stack’s horse should be hard to beat now he has the experience of his debut fourth to Chabal under his belt.
The most valuable race of the day, however, is the €110,000 Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick where the forecast fast ground should be ideal for Tony Martin’s versatile Green Mile.
Ruby Walsh’s mount has not encountered his favoured ground much this year and off 10st he could be hard to beat in this lucrative pot.
