Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
True Self’s got a lot at Stakes
A THREE-TIME winner at listed level, True Self will be strongly fancied to make her Group 3 breakthrough in the Irish Stallion Farms Stanerra Stakes at Leopardstown tonight.
An accomplished hurdler, having won a competitive Punchestown festival handicap off 123 last year, True Self has been a revelation since being switched to the flat.
She won a Cork maiden before completing a listed hat-trick, scoring at
Bath and Newmarket last autumn.
And, on her seasonal debut, the seven-year-old Oscar mare continued her winning thread in listed company, landing
Gowran Park’s Vintage Tipple Stakes at the expense of Jaega, which she meets on 3lb better terms this time.
On quicker ground tonight and with regular partner, the in-form
Colin Keane on board, 108-rated True Self looks the one to beat.
Aidan O’brien runs a quartet of three-yearolds in the race with Peach Tree possibly proving the chief threat.
A good money-spinner but frustrating to follow, Tony Martin’s Tudor City should reward each-way support in the Nasrullah.
Later, the progressive Jim Bolger-trained three-year-old Trossachs is napped to complete his hat-trick in the Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Handicap.
The opening two-year-old fillies maiden is intriguing, featuring the debut of Alpha Centauri’s well-touted half-sister Alpine Star.
But the standard is set by Ballydoyle runner Love.
TONIGHT is the track’s first meeting for three weeks, with The Stunning set to provide after-racing entertainment at the latest Bulmers Live session.