COURTINGCHARGE Jess’ is best SUCCESS Barr none in Stakes
BARRINGTON COURT will be stronglyfancied to repeat last year’s win in the Irish Stallion Farms Bluebell Stakes, one of two listed contests on tomorrow’s Naas card, which features the €120,000 Irish EBF 2-Y-0 Auction Series Final.
Trained for J P Mcmanus by Jessica Harrington, Barrington Court is a bumper-winner and won two of her seven outings over hurdles. But it was in the second half of last season, when tried on the flat, she blossomed.
Barrington Court won a Bellewstown maiden in August and then stepped into stakes company when chasing home subsequent Group 1 winner Princess Zoe in the Oyster at Galway and then Dawn Patrol in the Loughbrown (Group 3) at the Curragh.
She made her stakes-race breakthrough when landing this prize 12 months ago, beating Snapraeceps. And she returned to Naas three weeks later to win another listed event, the Finale over this curse and distance.
The seven-year-old mare has raced only twice this year, most recently when finishing fourth behind top stayers Twilight Payment and Princess Zoe in the St Leger Trial at the Curragh in August. And she has missed two engagements in the intervening weeks due to unsuitably good ground.
Rated 107, Barrington Court is set to receive 5lb from the Ger Lyons-trained Thunder Kiss, narrowly beaten by stable-companion Camorra in a Group 3 at Leopardstown last time, but saddled with a penalty for her Munster Oaks win in June. And that extra poundage sways me in Barrington Court’s favour.
Harrington and Shane Foley also have obvious claims with Oodnadatta, a close third behind Queenship in the Navigation at Cork last time, in the wide-open Irish Stallion Farms Garnet Stakes, the other listed race on the card.