COR CHANCE

Beach’s opportunity to open her account

THE Aidan O’brientrained Coral Beach is expected to make it third-time-lucky in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden in Listowel tomorrow. A daughter of Zoffany, she went into plenty of notebooks when making a very promising debut at Naas last month, overcoming an awkward start and running on in eye-catching style for Seamus Heffernan to finish a close third behind better-fancied stable-companion Fairyland.

The winner franked the form when impressing in the Marble Hill at the Curragh last weekend, beating a field of colts. And, although the selection failed to build on that debut effort in Navan a week later, I expect her to turn the tables on runner-up in the Naas race, but with the benefit of experience when the two fillies met at the County Kildare venue.

Having made her debut over six furlongs, with an ease in the ground,

Coral Beach surprisingly dropped back to the minimum trip at Navan, on fast ground, less than two weeks later.

She figured prominently and held every chance, but could manage only third spot, beaten less than a length behind Evasive Power.

Tomorrow, she’ll tackle an extended six furlongs, with ease underfoot, conditions which should enable her to open her account under yesterday’s Investec Oaks hero Donnacha O’brien. Apart from Mintd, dangers include Joseph O’brien’s, left, colt

fifth to Indigo Balance at the Curragh on his second start, and the Jessica Harringtontrained which showed plenty of speed before finishing not far behind Mintd and Coral Beach on her debut in Naas.