STORMIN’ WISDOM
Mind the business for O’briens
WISDOM Mind will be strongly fancied to continue Joseph and Donnacha O’brien’s great run of form in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap in Roscommon tonight.
Having saddled four winners on Friday evening – a treble at the Curragh and a bumper success in Clonmel – Joseph’s 1/7 shot Latrobe scored at the Curragh on Saturday, booking his ticket to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on June 30.
And, although she’s facing older, more experienced handicappers for the first time, Wisdom Mind should take plenty of beating in this event, confined to fillies, over an extended seven furlongs.
A daughter of Dark Angel, the selection showed signs of ability for Criquette Head-maarek in France as a juvenile before being transferred to the O’briens.
She shaped with plenty of promise on her Irish debut when second to subsequent scorer Head On Heart at Limerick in April before opening her account at the Curragh, when beating subsequent winner Athena and Most Gifted.
She ran creditably on her handicap debut at the Curragh last time, when finishing fourth to Hence in a one-mile three-yearold fillies event.
Dropping in trip, Wisdom Mind is nicely drawn in four and, with luck in running, should be tough to beat.
Boasting the best form on offer and joint bottomweight, Mark Mcniff ’s Eagles Rock sets the standard in the opening Foran Equine Irish EBF 2-Y-0 Auction Maiden.
And the Excelebration filly’s experience, most recently a second to Decisive Action at the Curragh, should help her overcome a high draw.
The Dermot Weldtrained debutante Tarasila, an Aga Khan-owned Sea The Stars filly, catches the eye in the Connaughton Auctioneers Maiden. But I’ll side with the 80-rated Lethal Power, from the in-form yard of Johnny Murtagh, reverting to maiden company following a solid fourth in a recent three-year-old handicap at the Curragh, won by Medal Of Honour.
That form was franked by unlucky runner-up Bond Street at Leopardstown last Thursday. And Lethal Power should be capable of landing a maiden of this standard, unless there’s a smart newcomer in the field,
On Saturday, Paul Townend recorded a notable Grade 2 double in Auteuil, providing Willie Mullins with a fifth win in the Prix la Barka as Bapaume won convincingly.
Mullins said he faces a tough decision on whether to keep the five-year-old hurdling next season or send him over fences.
Townend was also on board seven-year-old grey mare Baie Des Iles, which landed the Prix des Drags, a two-mile, six-furlong chase, giving Ross O’sullivan the biggest success of his training career.