MAYBE FILLY’S TIME
THE Aidan O’brien-trained Mayfair might make it third-time-lucky in the Lucky Dip Has Landed Betvictor Fillies Maiden in Dundalk.
Today’s polytrack action is a replacement fixture, established following the cancellation of Bellewstown’s flat card scheduled for today. And, with five maidens on the card, we have a chance of seeing some potentially high-class performers.
Ballydoyle will be represented in three of the maidens. And Mayfair, a Justify filly, full-sister to listed winner Unless has been found a good opportunity to open her account, unless there is an above average newcomer lurking among her rivals.
Mayfair made her debut at the Galway Festival last summer and, sent off at 9/2, stayed on in encouraging style to finish four lengths fourth behind Purple Lily and Tannola, both subsequent winners.
We didn’t see Mayfair again until the opening day of this season when, fitted with a tongue-tie, she started 13/8 favourite for a seven-furlong Curragh maiden.
Always prominent, she kept going well to be beaten a neck by Money Dancer in a big field.
She gave the impression a drier surface would bring about improvement and, although likely to come into her own over further in due course, she is very much the filly to beat here.
Most likely dangers among the debutantes are the Ger Lyonstrained Star Magnolia, a half-sister to Zarinsk, Johnny Murtagh’s Calyx filly Glen Princess and £680,000 purchase Authenticate, a Siyouni filly representing Joseph O’brien.
Aidan and Ryan Moore might also strike with towering grey London City in the Getaway Hotel Dundalk Race & Stay Maiden which concludes the action.
Fifth to Atlantic Coast on his debut at the Curragh, this son of
Justify and four-time Group 1 winner Winter then flopped when sixth behind stable-companion and subsequent Group 1 winner Los Angeles in testing ground at Tipperary.
That race might have come too soon for the Ballydoyle colt. And, stepping-up in trip, on this quicker surface, London City is expected to prove his potential, at the probably expense of 84-rated Huxley, no match for Agenda over this course and distance last time.
Third to Porters Place in a Curragh maiden on her sole juvenile start in October, Joseph O’brien’s Evening Blossom is preferred to Ballydoyle hope Port Fairy in the median auction fillies maiden.
And David Egan’s trip to Dundalk should prove worthwhile as his sole ride California Dreamer, well-backed ahead of his scheduled debut at the Curragh’s meeting which was cancelled last Saturday, is probably the one to beat in the opening two-year-old fillies maiden.