Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
O’BRIEN’S BALLET ON HER TOES
Filly can lead rivals merry dance
BALLET SHOES, in the Flame Of Tara 2-Y-0 Fillies Stakes, looks the banker bet on tomorrow’s Curragh card.
Aidan O’brien’s filly, a listed winner, goes unpenalised in tomorrow’s event, one of three Group events on a card which also features the €100,000 Tote Irish Cambridgeshire.
Unplaced on her debut behind stable-companion Butterscotch at Naas, Ballet Shoes impressed when stepping-up to win her maiden at the Curragh in late July, quickening in good style to see off New To Town.
And the daughter of Galileo improved again to land the listed Coolmore Ivawood Stakes at Tipperary last time, forging clear to beat the smart Ger Lyons-trained colt Lethal Steps by three and a quarter lengths.
That was the performance of a potential Group 1 filly. And she looks more than capable of
taking tomorrow’s Group 3 event in her stride, en route to better things.
She looks a cut above her rivals and should prove the highlight of what could turn out to be a good day for Ryan Moore.
Earlier, another Ballydoyle juvenile, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN, from the first crop of Camelot, is difficult to oppose in the opening Irish Times 2-Y-0 Maiden over a mile.
This fellow went into plenty of notebooks when making an eye-catching debut at Leopardstown recently, coming through to finish three lengths second to odds-on stable-companion Nelson.
Aidan O’brien expressed his satisfaction with that debut run. And, with significant improvement expected, it will take a smart newcomer to lower his colours. And PORT LIONS looks exposed after three runs.
Another likely two-year-old winner for Aidan O’brien and Ryan Moore is US NAVY FLAG in the Group 3 Plusvital Round Tower Stakes.
Winner of his maiden over course and distance, this colt went on to finish second to Cardsharp in Newmarket’s July Stakes and, last time, he was beaten two and a half lengths when fourth to stable-companion Sioux Nation in the recent Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, also over this course and distance. A reproduction of that sort of form will make him tough to beat.
The Group 3 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes poses a question. Can Aidan O’brien have RAIN GODDESS at the peak of her powers just two weeks after a lacklustre run in the Beverly D in Chicago?
Prior to that eighth behind Dacita, the Ballydoyle filly had chased home Nezwaah in the Pretty Polly before being beaten five and a half lengths to Enable in the Darley Irish Oaks.
This race represents a significant drop in class. And, if at her best, she should triumph. If not, Dermot Weld’s MAKING LIGHT might take advantage.