MEHNAH TO PAINT STAKES ROUGE
Frankel filly can defy high draw to seal Festival victory
A leading fancy for the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas until meeting with a minor setback, Mehnah looks the one to beat in the listed Irish Stallions Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes on the third day of Killarney’s July Festival.
Kevin Prendergast’s Frankel filly remains unexposed after just two runs, a smooth maiden success at Dundalk in September and an unlucky second in a Guineas Trial at Leopardstown in April.
She beat one of today’s rivals Sense Of Style when winning on debut on the polytrack. And, at Leopardstown, she recovered from a tardy start before finishing strongly and only failing by a head to catch 80/1 chance Keeper Of Time.
On that occasion, subsequent Prix De Diane winner Joan Of Arc finished sixth before landing a later trial at Leopardstown – beating Mehnah’s main danger today the Henry de Bromhead-trained Flirting Bridge.
This filly tackled the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last time and, having raced prominently, faded to fill seventh spot behind Alcohol Free – beaten nine lengths but finishing in front of Irish Guineas heroine Empress Josephine.
With a rating of 101, Flirting Bridge and Aidan O’brien’s Bellewstown winner Friendly are the top-rated runners.
But Mehnah has the potential to be better than that. My main worry about her chance is the fact she’s drawn in stall 16, posing problems for in-form Chris Hayes.
The Limerick rider also has prospects on Fozzy Stack’s once-raced Mannix in the ultra-competitive Irish EBF Median Sires Series 2-Y-0 Race.
This colt was an eye-catcher on his debut at the Curragh on Guineas weekend, finishing third behind subsequent Chesham winner Point
Lonsdale and Unconquerable, who went on to win his maiden in Naas.
Although conceding weight to six of his eight rivals, Mannix has a big chance and might successfully concede 11lb to the Jessica Harrington runner Tut Tut, narrowly beaten by subsequent Group 2 winner Velocidad on debut at Fairyhouse.
Joseph O’brien’s Prairie Dancer will make a bold bid to make all, under top-weight, in the Sneem Handicap.
But he might struggle to give 17lb to Colin Keane’s mount Right Turn. Second on his last two starts, having bumped into a well-handicapped Ballydoyle colt National Ballet in Limerick last time.