RACING:GER LYONS is hoping a €14,000 gamble will pay off with a first Group One victory for the Co Meath-based trainer when Lightening Pearl takes her place in today's Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.
The Round Tower winning filly was supplemented into the race at a cost of €14,000 earlier in the week in a move that Lyons has described as the easiest decision he’s ever made.
“I wouldn’t swap her for anything,” he said as he prepares Johnny Murtagh’s mount for a clash with eight others, including heavy favourite Best Terms.
Murtagh will also be on board Alanza in today’s Group One Sun Chariot Stakes, alongside Aidan O’Brien’s Together, while the latter runs three as he seeks a fifth win in the Royal Lodge Stakes for two year olds.
John Oxx’s Alanza and Together face a tough task against the French star Sahpresa who is chasing a hat-trick of Sun Chariot victories while Henry Cecil’s Timepiece is another Group One winner in the race.
Today’s home feature is the Group Three Cordell Lavarack Lanwades Stakes at Gowran and
Look At Me can notch a valuable win after chasing home Manieree in the Blandford last time out.
Oxx has faith in Akeed Mofeed
JOHN OXX will hope to bridge a close-on two-year gap between Group One triumphs when Alanza lines up at Newmarket today but it will be Akeed Mofeed's appearance at the Curragh tomorrow that could concentrate the trainer's mind even more in terms of next year's classics
Oxx has won the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes on three occasions in the past and all three winners proceeded to hugely significant Group One successes as three year olds.
Alamshar (2002) went on land the following season's Irish Derby and King George while Azamour (2003) graduated to top-flight victories at a mile, 10 furlongs and a mile and a half over the following couple of years.
Three years ago the peerless Sea The Stars landed the Beresford in a style that could barely even hint at the epic unbeaten 2009 he was to enjoy.
So the presence of any Oxx runner in this weekend's Irish Group Two feature was always going to be significant, especially on the back of evidence that he has a talented two year old team again.
The famously-understated trainer continues to make positive noises about Akeed Mofeed.
The Dubawi colt's promising debut was followed by a hugely-impressive maiden success at Leopardstown, the form of which has been boosted since by Athens who lines up again as part of a Ballydoyle trio trying to give Aidan O'Brien an 11th Beresford.
However Akeed Mofeed is already as low as 16-1 for next year's Guineas, and 20-1 for the Derby. And Oxx said yesterday: "He's looked promising right from the word go at home. As soon as he started fast work he looked good so we've always had a high opinion of him. He had a good first run and it was nice to see him progress from that in the manner we expected next time," he said.
"I'd probably expect this to be his last run of the season."
Jessica Harrington runs both Princess Sinead and Remember Alexander in the Group Three CL Weld Park Stakes and while the latter is already a Tyros Stakes winner, Princess Sinead represents some outstanding form.
Maybe has dominated the juvenile fillies division this season and Princess Sinead was less than five lengths off the Ballydoyle star when fifth in the Moyglare Stud Stakes. The dual-Listowel winner Bonnie Acclamation is on a hat-trick in the six furlong Premier Handicap but English raider Murura is a dual-Newmarket winner this season and can win.
In the novice chase at Clonmel tomorrow, Action Master who chased home Slieveardagh at Listowel recently could be the bet.
