FINANCIAL SENSE
Oliver’s charge banking on a course/distance hat-trick
ANDY Oliver-trained Financial Conduct is napped to register his third course and distance success in the LMFM Family Day Sunday 6th May Handicap in Dundalk this evening. An unexposed and progressive Harbour Watch gelding, Financial Conduct made his belated debut on this track in October and, having finished in the frame in his first three starts, he got off the mark in a maiden in early December.
Off the track until mid-february, he made a successful handicap debut when beating Alcander, again over the mile and a half on the polytrack.
The handicapper put Financial Conduct up 8lb for that victory. But Oliver’s charge showed just how much he’s improving when going close off his new mark last month when, sent off favourite, he failed by a head to cope with Elishpour, a Dundalk specialist.
Raised a further 2lb for that effort, the selection is open to more improvement and, with Sharjah sure to insure a good gallop, Shane Foley’s mount is expected to register his third success.
Earlier, the Michael Halfordtrained Andesh, whose debut second to Mendelssohn looks outstanding form in the context of the Racing 11th & 18th April Rated Race, sets a decent standard.
The Medicean colt stayed on well against Aidan O’brien’s , below, charge in a Curragh maiden, when Mendelssohn hung badly across the track.
The subsequent exploits of the Ballydoyle colt, most recently his spectacular UAE
Derby victory, which has put him firmly in the Kentucky
Derby picture, point to the prospects of Andesh here, although he was beaten, at oddson, in a Killarney maiden on his second start.
Andesh opened his account, at his third attempt, under Pat Smullen over this course and distance in October and is clearly a colt that needs a fast surface. Although his fitness must be taken on trust, Andesh, the mount tonight of Colm O’donoghue, gets the vote over Patrick Prendergast’s War Hero, a course and distance winner in February.
Trained by the astute Pat Murphy, Duke Of Waspington, runner-up to Lucent Dream last time, has solid claims, despite a high draw, in the Print Express Handicap.
And the well-drawn Danz Gift, without a win since January of last year, might strike for Sheila Lavery and Ronan Whelan, from stall one, in the sprint handicap.