Murtagh enjoys the Wilderness

THE remarkably tough and consistent Wilderness, narrowly denied in the recent Ulster Oaks, might defy the handicapper in the Irish Stallion Farms Connacht Oaks in Sligo.

The Johnny Murtaghtrained mare has zoomed up the ratings thanks to victories at Gowran Park, Roscommon and Leopardstown and, most recently, a creditable second to Elizabethofaragon at Down Royal.

She has jumped a total of 24lb in the ratings for her exploits, including a 6lb hike for her Down Royal effort. But, a battlehardened front-runner, she’ll be suited by the Sligo terrain and might return to winning form in the feature.

James Barrett’s Next In Line, another front-runner, is bidding for a hat-trick after wins in Gowran Park and Galway while the Weld runner Haparanda went up 14lb for her handicap debut win in Killarney.

Top-weight Mighty Blue enters calculations too, along with Ballinrobe maiden winner Red Line Alexander. But I’ll stick with Wilderness and Ben Coen to strike again.

In-form Murtagh also has prospects with the progressive Aztec Parade in the Irish Stallion Farms Median Auction race in Tipperary today.

Lightly-raced, he failed narrowly to Edward Hopper before bolting-up, admittedly in a weak maiden, at Leopardstown last time and might improve enough to get the better of Real Force, officially rated 7lb superior to the selection and set to receive 5lb from him here.

But, in the belief that we haven’t seen the best of Aztec Parade yet and in the hope he handles this easy surface, he gets the nod.

And Ballydoyle colt Silver Fox, runner-up to Chiricahua at Down Royal last time, is napped to land the mile and a half maiden.

OUT ON HIS OWN Trainer Johnny Murtagh