CAPRI ALL SET TO MOTOR ON
O’brien’s Beresford hero can land the Derby Trial
CAPRI can boost his Epsom claims by landing the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown.
The Galileo colt is part of a threestrong challenge by Aidan O’brien and he is chosen in the belief that he can step forward from his comeback.
On that occasion, Capri had to settle for fourth behind Rekindling in the Ballysax Stakes over this course and distance last month.
Yucatan and Douglas Macarthur, who are both in opposition once again, finished in front of Capri that day.
However, Colm O’donoghue’s mount shaped better than the bare result there would suggest.
He also had to shoulder a Group 2 penalty, which is not the case this time and his juvenile form earns him the vote. Last season, Capri won the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh and if returning to that form he will have the measure of Yucatan.
On what could be an excellent day for the Ballydoyle team, Elizabeth Browning gets the vote in the Group 3 Derrinstown 1,000 Guineas Trial.
This filly ended last season with a nursery success at this track, but her comeback run at Naas on Monday was most encouraging.
On that occasion she was beaten just under five lengths into fourth by Rehana, which represented her best effort to date.
She is entitled to improve for that comeback outing and the step up to a mile will also work in her favour.
Bean Feasa is a threat. She is still a maiden, but her form does include an excellent fifth to Hydrangea in a Guineas Trial at this track last month.
In the opening two-year-old maiden, it is hard to look past the chances of the O’brien-trained Sioux Nation. He shaped like a future winner on his debut at Naas last month when he was third to T For Tango.
He should improve for that effort and the drier ground will also be a help.
In the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes, Tribal Beat could strike for Jim Bolger.
This colt showed that he is capable of high class form when defeating Cougar Mountain in the Desmond Stakes over this course and distance last August.
Tribal Beat does lack the advantage of a recent run, but that isn’t a concern as he won the Desmond off a 10- month layoff last year.
In the first of the handicaps, the reliable Texas Rock is taken to make it three wins from his last four starts.
The mile-and-a-half handicap is a tricky affair, but Brokopondo is a solid type whose latest fourth to Tandem at Tipperary was very encouraging.