DERMOT WELD will be hoping for another classic family day at the Curragh this Sunday as Grace O’Malley bids for Darley Irish Oaks glory.
It is three years since Nightime carried the colours of Weld’s mother, Gita, to success in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at headquarters, and the trainer is confident of Grace O’Malley putting up a bold show in those same silks.
“I am not saying she will definitely beat the first two from Epsom (Sariska and Midday), but she is a rapidly improving filly and I believe she will run a very big race on Sunday,” Weld said.
Grace O’Malley is as low as 10 to 1 for the Oaks on the back of a Group Three success in the Noblesse Stakes at Cork last month, when the Refuse To Bend filly beat Tanoura by a short head under Pat Smullen.
The champion jockey will be on board again in the classic, and will also team up with Famous Name in Saturday’s Group Three Keeneland International Stakes over nine furlongs.
Anyone who saw Napa Starr’s victory at Bellewstown last Friday night will be keeping the Charles Brynes-trained horse on their side when he lines up at Leopardstown this evening.
Despite getting loose before the start, Napa Starr was brought with a decisive run by Declan McDonogh to win a handicap eased down by five lengths.
Now he attempts a follow-up in the nine-furlong apprentice handicap, and Byrnes has snapped up the services of Paul Townend.
A 5lb penalty for last week doesn’t look enough to knock any confidence in Napa Starr’s chance.
Another horse rising through the ratings is If Paradise, who can complete a hat-trick in the preceding mile handicap. Michael Halford’s runner won off 53 at Roscommon before winning so well off 64 that a 9lb hike this time may not be enough to stop him.
Famous is the Aidan O’Brien runner in the fillies maiden and she faces decent ground for the first time after two runs on soft.
How she takes to faster ground is debatable, but Rosa Muscosa is proven on it and she ran into a couple of decent types over this course and distance in Termagent and Cabaret, who has won since.
Some highly-rated horses run in this evening’s conditions race and the six-furlong trip could see Miss Gorica emerge best over Leandros and Empirical Power.
Miss Gorica has been operating well at five furlongs to seven and this could be an ideal distance.
Tinseltown, a son of Sadler’s Wells, makes his debut for Ballydoyle in the concluding maiden, but preference is for Noble Galileo, who belied 20 to 1 odds on her own debut with a good third at Gowran.
