Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
YOU’D GO FAIRWAY TO BEAT CHIARA
CLASS-DROPPING Chiara Luna will be expected to beat her three rivals in the Golf Societies Welcome race, which closes tomorrow’s flat card in Gowran Park.
The selection is trained for Moyglare Stud Farm by Dermot Weld, above, who has indicated his Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner and Investec Derby fifth Hazapour will run in the Group 3 Meld Stakes over nine furlongs at Leopardstown on July 19 before being aimed at the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes.
Chiara Luna, a daughter of War Front and Ribblesdale winner Princess Highway, made a successful start to her career at Leopardstown in August when justifying her tall reputation in a six-furlong maiden.
A late withdrawal from the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes in September, Chiara Luna didn’t have her second start until contesting the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown last month.
Settled at the back of the field, she made headway early in the straight and finished strongly to fill fourth spot behind Who’s Steph, beaten just two lengths.
Chiara Luna was then allowed to take her chance in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas but, having chased the leaders, she dropped away to finish 11th of 13 behind Alpha Centauri.
Tomorrow’s race, over an extended nine furlongs, gives this Weld filly a good opportunity to return to winning form, at a significantly lower level.
Rated 99, she should prove too strong for Joseph O’brien’s sixth to Irish Derby candidate Platinum Warrior in the Gallinule last time, and Jim Bolger’s seasonal debutant three-horse race in Navan.
The form of that fillies maiden in Naas has ben franked by Kalaxana, Scriobh Nua and Zoffanyia. And, back against her own sex, the Weld filly might prove too strong for Jim Bolger’s
fourth to Tissiak at the Curragh last time, and Ballydoyle hope
third on her debut in Naas just last Monday.
A hopeful nap vote goes to another filly which emerged from that Naas maiden won by Broadway, the Fozzy Stack-trained
making her handicap debut in the three-year-old handicap over an extended nine furlongs.
Since Naas, this filly tried to force the pace from a low draw in a Listowel maiden, when she finished fourth to True To Herself. And she looks rated nicely on 73 to strike here, at the expense of Kevin Prendergast’s
In the earlier, www.gowranpark.ie Handicap, Denis Hogan’s might reverse recent Limerick form with Have A Nice Day.