COLT IS COSMIC
First victory is on the Horizon
JUST three days after the start of 2018-2019 Guinness PRO 14, Cosmic Horizon might land today’s opener in Roscommon for Irish Rugby supremo Joe Schmidt and the O’brien brothers, Joseph and Donnacha.
Having ridden seven winners at the Curragh over the weekend and 17 clear of reigning champ Colin Keane in the title-race, Donnacha looks set for further success on this progressive, twice-raced Excelebration colt.
Well-backed ahead of his debut at Bellewstown, he knew little about his job when finishing fifth to Legal Turbo.
But he stepped-up significantly on that effort at Galway, finishing strongly to get within a half-length of Zuenoon in a median auction maiden.
Although the winner was value for more than the official margin, he went on to score again in Killarney, beating Ballydoyle colt Cardini which, in turn, opened his account off a mark of 91 in a Curragh nursery.
We have yet to see the best of Cosmic Horizon and, although he’s facing tough opposition today, he might be good enough to open his account.
The two previous winners in the field, Copia Verborum and Invasion Day, are dropping in class, having filled third and fourth spots respectively behind Anthony Van Dyck in the Group 3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown six weeks ago.
With ratings in the high nineties, they are formidable opponents for Cosmic Horizon. But, in receipt of 4lb, the O’brien colt might have the edge.
Colin Keane has a number of chances on today’s card. And the once-raced Ancestral, in the familiar Juddmonte colours, looks his best chance and is napped to land the mile-and-a-quarter fillies maiden.
This daughter of Bated Breath shaped with plenty of promise on her belated debut at the Curragh in late July, finishing third, beaten less than four lengths, behind Park Bloom and subsequent winner Vivianite.
With improvement expected, the Ger Lyonstrained filly might prove superior to her more exposed rivals, although Bongiorno, trained by Willie Mccreery, might prove a serious threat.
The featured €25,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap looks wide open. And Dermot Weld’s four-year-old Espoir d’soleil is no more than a hopeful choice.
The selection has performed creditably in competitive handicaps all season, including a close sixth behind Lucius Tiberius in the Nasrullah at Leopardstown. And, last time, she filled fourth spot in the race won by Mazzuri in Gowran Park.
Although costly to follow, the Moyglare-owned Galileo filly should figure prominently here.
The seven-furlong Tulsk Handicap has been divided. And recent course form points to the chances of All The Mollies and Landline respectively.