NO PRESSURE
WHILE Aidan O’brien’s focus is firmly on today’s Investec Derby in Epson, his Cypress Creek should keep home fires burning by landing the Adrian Fox Memorial Maiden in Navan.
O’brien, inset, targets this mile and five furlong contest with both Cypress Creek, a full-brother to last year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and English St Leger winner Capri, and one of his chief dangers GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI.
And, with Ryan Moore, Seamus Heffernan, Donnacha O’brien, Wayne Lordan and last year’s Epsom hero Padraig Beggy on Derby duty, Emmet Mcnamara will be on board Cypress Creek.
Backward as a juvenile, Cypress Creek finished seventh to Mcmunigal in a Naas maiden on debut and then filled fifth spot behind stable-companion James Cook at Leopardstown in October.
Returning to
Leopardstown for his threeyear-old debut, the selection set a strong pace before being collared by odds-on stablecompanion Southern France before the furlong-pole, plugging on to finish second, beaten two and a half lengths, but almost five lengths clear of the third, Jim Bolger’s NATIONAL SECURITY, which reopposes today. Since then, Southern France has boosted the form by landing a listed event on this track. And, with improvement expected, tackling a longer trip and likely to be ridden with a little more restraint, Cypress Creek should open his account before progressing to prove himself a smart, young stayer.
Like Aidan O’brien, Johnny Murtagh is also in Epsom, on duty for ITV racing and saddling TRUE VALOUR in the Group 3 Investec Diomed Stakes.
And I expect his progressive Toronado filly YOLO AGAIN to acquit herself well in the opener, the Lynn Lodge Stud 2-Y-0 Maiden.
This filly caught my eye on her debut behind So Perfect here (when rival SILVER SERVICE was third) and stepped-up to fill third spot behind Dandys Ocean at the Curragh last week. She’s marginally preferred to Silver Service, narrowly denied by Evasive Power here last time.