Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Paso Doble dancing to right tune
THE progressive, Jim Bolger-trained threeyear-old Paso Doble might complete a hat-trick in tomorrow’s Killarney finale, the Muckross Handicap.
A strapping, Godolphinowned son of Dawn Approach, this fellow showed little in four starts as a two-year-old. But he scored on his threeyear-old debut at Roscommon five weeks ago, scoring as an unconsidered 40/1 shot in a mile and a half handicap.
Raised 9lb, Paso Doble followed-up at Fairyhouse on Thursday, dropping back in trip and again doing his best work late in beating favourite Layfayette.
Up another 6lb and carrying only a mandatory penalty, Paso Doble is open to plenty of improvement. And his style of racing suggests this step-up to a mile and six furlongs should suit him.
Kevin Manning’s, inset, mount gets the vote over the versatile, Charles Byrnes-trained Poseidon, who took advantage of an attractive flat mark in Limerick, for which he went up 9lb.
Trainer Paddy Twomey has a good strike-rate in Killarney and might hit the target again with onceraced Actuary, the mount of Colin Keane, in the median auction maiden.
This Helmet gelding finished fourth to Sage Advice on his debut in Cork and, with normal improvement, might be good enough in what looks a modest affair.
Two years on from her Prix de Royallieu (Group 2) win in Longchamp, Gavin Cromwell’s Princess Yaiza is the highest-rated of the five runners in the Carrauntoohil Fillies Race.
But she might be vulnerable to Dermot Weld’s three-year-old course and distance scorer Shamiyna.