Leopardstown Preview - 8th
August
By Stephen Dwyer
Leopardstown
host a seven race card tonight with the feature event being the Group 3
Ballyroan Stakes. Commencing proceedings is the Foxrock Fillies Maiden over 6f
where Willie Mullins enters a rare sprint runner in Wizz Up. The filly finished
well down the field on her only start for Robert Collet in Maisons-laffitte
before being acquired by Ballylinch Stud. Out of Lidanna, the 6f trip will suit
and Seamie Heffernan takes the ride. She is an interesting contender in what
looks a very ordinary maiden. Likely favourite Il Palazzo tries the 6f trip for
the first time but continues to disappoint. Winless in five starts she finished
one-paced over 7f at the Curragh last time out when beaten into 4th. She
started 6/4 favourite that day and looks opposable here. She may try to make
all (employed similar tactics at Leopardstown before) but she lacks true
sprinting speed in her pedigree and this may be exposed by one of the
newcomers.
In
the 7f Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, Johhny Murtagh trains and rides Corona
Borealis who looks progressive. His dam is a half-sister to the high-class
Inchinor and he fetched 110,000 Guineas as a yearling. By Galileo he finished
mid division over a similar trip at the Curragh in June and improvement is
expected. The Ballydoyle-trained Friendship, second last week (7 ½ lengths back
to the third horse) to Mustajeeb at Galway, has been highly tried and his last
race at Galway was a very high class affair. He may well win today and there is
every indication that he is progressing. Strictly on form lines he should be
winning today, he finishes his races well and should appreciate the ground. On
just his second start he ran in the Chesham Stakes at Ascot (but got very upset
at the starting stalls) and is officially rated 95 which should be enough to take
this race.
Not
content with just being the King of Ballybrit, Dermot Weld has made the
Ballyroan Stakes all his own. He has saddled the winner of the last four
renewals of this race but has no runner today. In all truth, this year’s
renewal looks very competitive on paper. Both Scintilla and Ernest Hemingway
are officially rated 115 but Scintillula receives a stone in weight from the
Ballydoyle runner due to being a 3yo filly. Unraced as a 2yo, Ernest Hemingway
famously served as a pacemaker for Camelot in the 2012 Prix de l´Arc de Triomph
and he beat Royal Diamond (last year’s Irish St. Leger winner) in the Group 3
Curragh Cup in June over 1m 6f. It was a comfortable victory that day despite
his odds (12/1) but today will be a real test as to whether he can be
considered a real stayer in the Yeats and Fame And Glory mould. On the negative
side, Aidan O’ Brien has only won this race once, back in 1999 with Peach Out
of Reach, and no horse carrying 9-12 has won the race in the last ten years.
Scintillula
for Jim Bolger is a full sister to Claiomh Solais and Cuis Ghaire who is a
muliptle Group 3 winner and finished second in the 1000 Guineas. She has won at
Leopardstown twice this season and
comfortably accounted for Mars in the Group 3 Meld Stakes two weeks ago. She
also finished fourth in the Irish Oaks and with the weight she receives today,
Kevin Manning may well try to steal it from the front. It is Royal Diamond
however who is of most interest. Owned by Andrew Tinkler, he is a half-brother
to Mad About You and as a 7yo, has plenty of experience whish fits the profile
for older horses having a high strike rate in this race. He improved no end
last year which culminated in a narrow victory in the Irish St. Leger. Hard to
believe that this horse was running over hurdles at Fakenham on New Years Day
last year and there is now talk of the Melbourne Cup following his Listed win
at the Curragh in July. Royal Diamond is a tough, genuine horse who keeps
everything straightforward and it is well know that Johnny Murtagh is very fond
of him and has this race as a target.
In
the concluding race, the 2m Leopardstown Club Member’s Handicap, Giant’s Quest
looks an each way proposition following some very decent spins over hurdles.
His last three races over jumps read 213 and at the weights, Pat Smullen is
sure to give a good account.
Two for today:
Friendship – 5.45 2 pts win (Tissue price 5/4)
Royal Diamond 6.45 2 pts win (Tissue price 2/1)
