Miss Tapley ready to help O’Brien get off to super start
Trainer Joseph O'Brien. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Some decent racing at both venues this afternoon, with the National Hunt fare in Tipperary and the Flat brigade descending upon Gowran Park. At the latter course, it could be a fine day for Joseph O’Brien, and he can get off to the best possible start by taking the opener, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden, with Miss Tapley.
The daughter of Phoenix Of Spain had one run last year, in a Galway maiden, and ran a superb race to finish runner-up to Tannola, who had two good runs under her belt prior to that victory. The form received a nice boost when third-placed Vassula Ryden, who runs in the second race on today’s card, ran away with a maiden on her next start.
Miss Tapley is clearly a nice prospect, won’t be inconvenienced by the ground, and her trainer has saddled four Flat winners in the last fortnight. She can take this at the expense of It’sonlyjustbegun, who showed promise on her recent debut and is sure to step forward.
O’Brien’s Soul Of Spain, another by Phoenix Of Spain, has a similar profile and can make a winning return in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 3YO Spring Series Median Auction Maiden.
The colt made his debut in early October and having shown signs of greenness, did well to finish runner-up to Illinois. The form was shown in a good light when the winner finished a close third in a Group 1 in France on his next start. Soul Of Spain was certainly an eyecatcher that day at the Curragh and if he has wintered well, he will take a great deal of beating.
Newcomer Daboya, an Aga Khan colt trained by Dermot Weld, is worth noting in the market. He is out of a lightly raced mare who won twice and achieved a mark in the 90s.
O’Brien’s Carlo Bianconi, who has finished runner-up in both outings to date, has leading claims in the Racing Again Tomorrow Maiden. He has form in soft ground and the benefit of a run this year, even if that was in January, and he may be able to make that count against the returning Neptunes Staircase.
In Tipperary, Tingarran Express, who made a long overdue breakthrough last Thursday at Clonmel, can follow up in the Junction Handicap Hurdle. Denise O’Shea’s mare is carrying a 7lb penalty this time but there is no doubt she won with a bit in hand and another big run looks assured.
In the Ballykisteen Beginners’ Chase, it is difficult to know what to expect from Pinkerton and thus Now Is The Hour, who is in form, is preferred. The selection won a Grade Two novice hurdle on his penultimate start but found Summer Tide, who runs in the following race, too good when making his chasing debut on his most recent outing. Despite the defeat, it was a good effort and if he can show a little improvement, he will be hard to beat.
Pinkerton ran off a mark in the 140s in last year’s County Hurdle and made a promising start to his chasing career when third to Imagine. He followed that up by taking the same place behind Miste Policeman but was well beaten on his third start, which was off an 81-day break. He hasn’t run since that outing, which was more than two months ago, and so the market is a necessary pointer to his claims.
