Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ARORA IN A HARRI.. Punta to continue Jessie’s top run
ONCE-RACED Punita Arora will be strongly fancied to continue Jessica Harrington’s superb run of success with her two-year-old fillies in the Foran Equine Irish EBF 2-Y-0 Fillies Auction maiden in Navan.
This chestnut shaped with plenty of promise on her recent debut in Naas and, with that experience under her belt, should be capable of successfully conceding weight to her seven rivals today.
A 14/1 shot on debut, she travelled sweetly for Tom Madden in Naas before being outpointed by her better-fancied stablemate
Cool Vixen and beaten two and a quarter lengths.
Today, with Shane Foley taking over in the saddle, Harrington’s charge drops back to the minimum trip, which shouldn’t be a problem, having shown so much speed in Naas.
And she looks set to give Harrington her 13th juvenile success of the season, with Willie Mccreery’s debutante Burren Orchid and experienced, 75-rated Glow Worm likely to give the selection most to do.
In the other two-year-old action, the five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, Joseph O’brien’s Alligator Alley sets a decent standard.
This Kingman colt shaped with promise on his debut in a hot Curragh maiden, in which subsequent winner Sunday Sovereign beat Arizona, which went on to win the Coventry at Royal Ascot.
The Peckhampuncer, a rival today, finished ahead of the selection but has since been beaten in Ayr while Alligator Alley went on to finish third, when favourite, in another Curragh maiden early last month.
Like Punita Arora, Alligator Alley is dropping back to five furlongs, which should suit him.
He’s the form choice, although the debutante Reducta, trained by Ger Lyons (inset) might be a threat.
The opening, three-runner Irish Stallion Farms Race looks trappy. But Ballydoyle colt Jack Yeats, which fulfilled the role of pacemaker for Japan in the King Edward at Royal Ascot, might prove the solution.
Prior to his Ascot job, this fellow had been pipped by recent Group 3 winner Buckhurst on his seasonal debut in a Leopardstown maiden before winning his maiden in Naas in late April.
With cheekpieces fitted, Jack Yeats might be allowed to dictate the pace. And, if he is, he’ll be tough to pass.
Harrington’s Leo De Fury won a weak Curragh maiden impressively on debut recently while the Ger Lyons runner Kaftan won her maiden at Naas before being pipped by Morpho Blue in Limerick.