Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STORM IS SET TO BLOW HER RIVALS AWAY
RIDING The Storm will be fancied to give Jessica Harrington her sixth juvenile success of the season in the opening race of the four-day Bellewstown July meeting.
The Fast Company filly has contested maidens in Naas and Listowel and showed enough ability to suggest she should be capable of scoring at this level.
Last time, Riding The Storm was beaten six lengths into fourth position behind Willie Mccreery’s Mintd in Listowel. But I hope she is best judged on her debut run, when allowed to dictate a muddling pace before finishing fifth beaten four lengths, behind Fairyland.
That form has been boosted by the winner, which went on to land the listed Marble Hill at the Curragh before finishing a close third to main Edition in the Albany at Royal Ascot. Mintd (third) and Moravia (fourth) both went on to win their maidens next time.
Stepping-up to almost a mile, the Harrington filly will meet nothing of that calibre this evening and should run a very big race under Shane Foley.
Cedars Of Lebanon, rated 77, and Joseph O’brien’s Syrena are the other form picks while newcomers Frosty Beach (trained by Dermot Weld) and Gold Jasmine (Ger Lyons) should be monitored in the market.
The Michael O’callaghan-trained Captain Vancouver, a bit frustrating to follow, is napped to belatedly get off the mark in the Irish Stallion farms EBF median Auction maiden, like the opener over a distance just less than a mile.
This gelding has failed to reach the frame only once in five starts and has finished second in both outings in 2018, chasing home Magnetic North on his seasonal debut at Leopardstown.
And, last time, he made a bold bid to make all in a mile maiden at Naas, before being overhauled and put in his place by Spinning Memories.
A costly 11/10 favourite that day, he was chased home by newcomers Curvy and Kasinga, which have gone on to win next time, at Gowran Park and the Curragh respectively.
Sure to be ridden prominently again by Leigh Roche, Captain Vancouver’s turn should come tonight.
The once-raced Chateau La Fleur, beaten on her debut in Dundalk back in March, will be expected to make amends in tonight’s finale, the Hilltown Fillies Maiden.
But I’ll oppose Dermot Weld’s charge with an each-way suggestion, Attack At Dawn, ridden for Kevin Prendergast by Chris Hayes (inset).
A promising third to easy winner and subsequent Group 3 winner Flattering on her debut in Cork, her more recent form includes fifth placings behind Tissiak, at the Curragh, and Curvy in Gowran Park.
Rated only 71, Attack At Dawn is expected to improve significantly for the step-up to an extended mile and a half and should reward each-way support.