TREBLE TIME

Royal County Down set to stay on course with handicap success

THE top weight Royal County Down can make it three wins on the bounce in the Matchbook Straight Seven Irish EBF Premier Nursery Handicap at Cork this afternoon.

This all flat card has attracted big fields but the day’s feature gives punters a chance with the seven runner line up being by far the smallest of the afternoon.

Royal County Down, whose jockey Donnacha O’Brien has been in brilliant form lately, looks a solid option.

He somehow pulled victory out of the fire to win at Down Royal in late July and just over a week later he bagged the seven furlong nursery at Galway.

On that occasion Royal County Down edged another tight finish when he saw off his stablemate Mythologic by a neck.

The application of blinkers could help this son of Gleneagles and he might just be able to confirm form with Mythologic.

Silence Please also commands respect having caught the eye when making a winning debut at Gowran in July.

A couple of trainers have good prospects of a double and the first of these is Jessica Harrington who could strike with two of her excellent juvenile team.

The Moone trainer can get off the mark in the opening mile maiden where Unknown Pleasures makes plenty of appeal.

This daughter of Zoffany made a bright start to her career when finishing second to Yaxeni in a maiden over this course and distance two weeks ago.

A similar effort could enable her to get off the mark and she is preferred to Lemista whose debut fourth in a Leopardstown maiden last month looks like very solid form.

The Harrington double should be completed by Chasing The Dawn in the six furlong fillies maiden.

This daughter of Acclamation began her career with a fine second to Petite Mustique in a smart fillies maiden at Galway.

The winner has since been touched off at Group 2 level which gives the form a good look and this shorter trip should suit for Chasing The Dawn.

Eddie Lynam could also end the day with a couple of winners and his Tide Of Time makes plenty of appeal in the five furlongs handicap.

The five-year-old is a consistent sort and he showed when chasing home Hathiq at Tipperary several weeks ago that he can add to his tally.

Earlier the Lynam-trained Chagall is a hopeful choice in the seven furlongs handicap after showing up quite well in a similar event at Gowran.

Silk Air’s last effort at Naas was a very solid one and if she can match the form of that runner-up effort she could land the fillies maiden.

Girolamo struggled to make an impression on his comeback at Naas but a return to his juvenile form might see him capture the last.