WELD EYES A KNIGHT ON TOWN
PETER O’HEHIR
LIGHTLY-RACED Knight To King looks the one to beat in the listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Devoy Stakes in Naas tomorrow.
A half-brother to four winners, including Ghaiyyath, he is trained for Newtown Anner Stud by Dermot Weld (above), who won the 2006 Irish 1,000 Guineas with this colt’s dam Nightime.
He looked very exciting when bolting-up in a Gowran Park maiden, on his belated debut, last
June before competing in group company twice.
The Rosewell colt slammed subsequent handicap winner
Mr King on his debut, a performance which prompted Weld to step him into Group 2 class in the Prix Eugene Adam in Saint-cloud five weeks later.
He dictated the pace before being outpaced in the straight and finished fourth behind Horizon Dore.
Then on his final start of 2023, Knight To King again filled fourth spot, behind Layfayette in the Group 3 Royal Whip at the
Curragh.
The Kingman colt is officially rated 103, 1lb below rival Sunchart. But, lightly-raced, he has scope for plenty of improvement and, if he copes with the heavy ground, is expected to kick-start his four-year-old campaign on a high.
Weld and stable-jockey Chris Hayes also have obvious prospects with Harbour Gem, on her stable debut, in the opening seven-furlong fillies maiden.
This Zoffany filly was placed in both starts for Barry Fitzgerald last autumn before joining
Weld and should have every chance if reproducing her second to Weld’s Azana at Leopardstown in a field in which the Ger Lyons’ Wendla and Ballydoyle debutante Fleetingly might give her most to do.