Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NOEL TO PULL TRIGGER
Meade’s Helvic can win Stakes shootout
THE Noel Meade-trained Helvic Dream must be strongly-fancied to follow-up an impressive recent Group 3 success at the Curragh in the listed Trigo Stakes at Leopardstown’s final meeting of the 2020 flat season.
The three-year-old Power gelding has recorded each of his three wins in soft or heavy ground and, following his runaway Curragh win, he might be capable of defying his 5lb penalty as he drops back into listed company.
Successful twice as a juvenile, Helvic Dream has been placed twice at listed level this year, chasing home Pondus in the Lenebane at Roscommon and filling third spot behind So Wonderful in the Ruby at Killarney.
A creditable third to the progressive Sonnyboyliston in t h e No r t h f i e l d s ( P re mi e r) Handicap at the Curragh on his penultimate start, he simply bolted-up last time, when tried in Group 3 company for the first time, in the International Stakes.
Ridden with confidence by Colin Keane (on board again today), Helvic Dream came from off the pace, cruised through to master solid yardstick Up Helly Aa with a furlong and a half to race and, despite wandering in front, forged clear to score by seven and a half lengths.
A reproduction of a similar effort should see Meade’s charge defy his penalty, at the expense of top-weight Numerian and Dermot Weld’s filly Amma Grace, runner-up to Cayenne Pepper in the Group 2 Blandford last time.
The Group 3 Eyrefield 2-Y-0 Stakes, over a mile and a furlong, is today’s feature and will see
Wayne Lordan return to action having been sidelined since a fall in Listowel last month.
Lordan will be on board San Martino, the apparent Ballydoyle second string, alongside Seamus Heffernan’s mount Carlisle Bay, a gutsy, all-the-way winner on his debut over this trip at Tipperary.
But the one I like is the Ger Lyons-trained Reve De Vol , winner of a Fairyhouse maiden on debut and highly-tried in recent starts.
This Moyglare-owned Siyouni colt filled third spot behind Cadillac and Van Gogh in a Group 2 over this course and distance on Champions Weekend and, last time, was a seven lengths fifth to High Definition in the Beresford (Group 2) at the Curragh.
In a race where stamina will be crucial, 1-1-rated Reve De Vol sets the standard.