ISLAND PARADISE
Top weight looks a shore thing
CITY ISLAND, under top-weight in the opening RED MILLS EBF Auction Novice Hurdle, looks the banker bet on today’s Naas card.
The Martin Brassil-trained six-yearold has been first past the post in three of his four career starts, having been beaten on his debut in a bumper at the Punchestown Festival in April.
He opened his account on the same track two weeks later and made a successful hurdling debut at the Galway Festival, when beating Getareason, before being disqualified for a prohibited substance.
City Island returned to action at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and made amends in style, justifying favouritism at the expense of
Dallas Des Pictons, which has gone on to win his maiden impressively at Punchestown before landing a Leopardstown handicap off a mark of 130.
Ever astute, Brassil has found a good opportunity for Sean Mulryan’s gelding. And he’s expected to successfully concede weight to his rivals, notably the Tom Mullinstrained CHAVI ARTIST, third to The Big Dog at Gowran Park last time.
In-form Joseph O’brien appears to have the answer to the EMS Copiers Rated 4-Y-0 Novice Hurdle, in which he runs KONITHO, impressive scorer on his Irish debut over this course and distance recently and set to carry the colours of J P Mcmanus, inset, for the first time today.
But Konitho might be upstaged by stable-companion BAND OF OUTLAWS, a 93-rated flat performer which caught the eye on his hurdling bow when a close third to MAZE RUNNER (re-opposes) at Cork before picking-up nicely to beat Future Proof in Limerick.
O’brien might also land the bumper with FRONT VIEW, well-touted and sent off favourite for his recent debut at Gowran Park, but firmly put in his place by the Willie Mullins-trained Blue Sari, which has also been bought by J P Mcmanus.
With that experience under his belt, Front View should recoup losses.
The featured BBA Ireland Ltd. Opera Hat Mares Chase affords the Willie Mullins-trained PRAVALAGUNA a good opportunity to build on her eight lengths defeat of Moyhenna at Limerick’s Christmas meeting.
That performance, when she was left clear by the last fence fall of Creation, was a marked improvement on her chase debut effort at Killarney in May. And, although not entirely straight-forward, Pravalaguna will be expected to follow-up.
Gordon Elliott’s MRS LOVETT, well beaten in a listed event in Warwick last time, might prove the chief threat to Paul Townend’s mount.