HIS NAME IS ‘RIO &..
..today’s top prize is in his hand
THE Donnacha O’brien-trained Emporio should be tough to beat in the listed Navigation Stakes on the final flat card of 2022 in Cork.
This four-year-old Zoffany gelding took a long time to get his head in front, opening his account at the ninth attempt in a Curragh maiden on Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby weekend last year.
But his form at two and three included five runner-up efforts in maidens, plus a creditable effort in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas, won by Mac Swiney, when he filled fifth spot, beaten less than eight lengths.
Emporio has acquitted himself particularly well in his two outings this term, landing a conditions event in Tipperary over an extended seven furlongs, beating Alessandro Algardi with more in hand than the margin (three-quarters of a length) might suggest.
And, dropping back to seven furlongs, he ran a cracker in Sovereign Path, a premier handicap at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend, running on in the closing stages to finish a creditable fourth behind the Mark Johnston-trained I’m A Gambler, Safe Voyage and Current Option.
Upped 2lb. for that run to a mark of 100, Emporio is preferred to the Ger Lyons-trained Georgeville, without a win this season, when campaigned in hot company, but successful in the Trigo at Leopardstown almost a year ago.
Without a win in 15 attempts since arriving from Roger Varian’s, the Ado Mcguinness-trained Pierre Lapin (inset) has run some tremendous races, enough to suggest he should be capable of success in a race like today’s Follow Us On Social Media Handicap.
He has run well in a series of premier handicaps this summer, including fifth to Magic Chegaga in the Galway Mile and to Golden Twilight in the Red God at Dundalk.
Ninth behind I’m A Gambler in the Sovereign Path, he performed particularly well when a staying on fourth to Federal in the Irish Cambridgeshire.
On that sort of form, he deserves a change of luck and might reward each-way support in a race for which Andy Oliver’s Band Width has obvious claims, despite a 9lb. hike for his recent Punchestown win.
Billy Lee should bolster his title bid on board the Ken Condon-trained Accomplished in the seven-furlong Fermoy Maiden.
A half-sister to Epsom Derby winner Authorized, this filly dropped in trip at Gowran Park last time and went close against Dermot Weld’s Touching Clouds over today’s trip of seven furlongs. A reproduction of that effort might suffice.