Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NO SNAP JUDGEMENT
O’brien colt has shown form to succeed in calmer waters
DROPPING in class and suited by race conditions, Snapraeterea should take plenty of beating in the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race Final in Naas tomorrow.
Joseph O’brien will saddle a quarter of the 16-strong field, chasing a winner’s prize of €70,800. And Shane Crosse’s mount Snap- raeterea, rated 103, sets the standard. Successful at Roscommon in July, when making all to beat subsequent Group 3 winner Elysium, Snapraeterea has been highly-tried and performing creditably in recent starts.
The Buratino colt finished fourth to MacSwiney in the Group 2 Futurity at the Curragh on his first excursion in stakes company. And he followed that by finishing sixth to Cadillac in a Group 2 at Leopardstown, when he raced keenly and dropped away. Last time, again in Group 2, he dictated the pace, was headed at the furlong-pole and finished fourth , beaten l ess than four lengths, behind the smart High Definition in the Beresford at the Curragh.
In calmer waters tomorrow, Snapraeterea is the highest-rated contender and meets chief rival and stable-companion Vafortino on favourable terms.
Of the others, the Ger Lyons-trained Ecliptical, whose Bellewstown form has been well-advertised by the third, A Case Of You, is unexposed and a danger to all.
The Dermot Weld-trained Etneya appeals in the listed Irish Stallion Farms Garnet Stakes.
A smooth traveller when scoring on her debut at the Curragh in July, beating four subsequent winners, then finished fifth to Royal Dornoch in the Group 3 Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown.
And, back against her own sex last time, in the Group 3 Cordell-lavarack at Gowran Park, she went down by a neck to Epona Plays when the two principals stretched five lengths clear of the rest.
The Aga Khan-owned filly should be capable of success at listed level. And this looks a good opportunity for her.
A revelation in recent outings on the flat,
Jessica Harrington’s Barrington Court looks the one to beat in the other listed race on the card, the Bluebell Stakes.
Winner of a bumper and two hurdles, this mare impressed when winning a flat maiden in Bellewstown before running a cracker against subsequent Group 1 winner Prix du Cadran winner Princess Zoe in the listed Oyster Stakes in Galway.
The selection stepped-up to two miles for the recent Loughbrown at the Curragh and ran another solid race to finish second to three-year-old Dawn Patrol.
Dropping back in trip, the J P Mcmanusowned mare holds Mighty Blue on Loughbrown form and might prove too strong for the 10 three-year-olds in the field.
Disappointing when third to Saltonstall, after a tardy start, in Limerick last time, Joseph O’brien’s unexposed four-year-old Dance Jupiter is given another chance to shine in the Naas Racecourse Handicap.
The 95-rated top-weight will have Dylan Browne Mcmonagle on board this time. And, if ridden more prominently, he might recoup losses.