Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SMART MONEY IS ON AIDAN’S EXCITING COLT
SAN MARTINO might prove best in the HOLLYWOODBETS Median Auction 3-Y-0 Race, the fascinating highlight of tonight’s eight-race card in Dundalk.
The one-mile affair has attracted a field of 11, including nine previous winners – four of them already successful on the polytrack.
But, having won both maidens at the Curragh on Sunday, Aidan O’brien might hold the key in the shape of San Martino, a son of The Gurkha, expected to thrive on his first visit to the poly.
The colt bolted-up by five lengths in a maiden in Killarney in August, on his third start, and was then beaten in two nurseries.
Beaten a head by Magnanimous in a premier nursery in Listowel, he went on to finish third to one of today’s rivals Rebel Step, who was receiving 12lb at Thurles. But he ended his juvenile campaign with a disappointing run in the Eyrefield at Leopardstown.
On ratings, San
Martino has 2lb to find with Ken Condon’s Killarney winner Doolin Dancer and the Ger Lyons-trained To Glory while Soaring Sky, Russian River and Cecilia Clementine are fillies with potential.
But in the hope he’ll float along on the polytrack, San Martino might triumph for
Seamus Heffernan, who will also be on board another Ballydoyle colt Sir Lamorak in the maiden over an extended mile and a quarter.
This Camelot colt is taken to reverse Leopardstown form with Dermot Weld’s Moktaffy (gelded over the winter) on the basis of his progressive profile last autumn, when he finished a close fourth to Arturio Toscanini at the Curragh on his second start. He looks sure to relish this test of stamina.
The John Geoghegantrained Chateau Musar, a model of consistency over the winter, winning three of his five starts, is napped to strike again in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dundalk Handicap.
Chris Hayes (inset) has struck up a good partnership with the four-year-old and, upped 6lb for his most recent win, when tackling a mile and a half for the first time, there might be more to come from Chateau Musar.
Elsewhere, Naas stages its first flat meeting of 2021 on Sunday – a card which features the Group 3 Lodge Park Stud Express Stakes over a mile and the listed, mile and a quarter Plusvital Stakes.
And a massive entry of 361, representing 95 sires, has been received for the €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane 2-Y-0 Stakes which will be run at Naas on August
2.