Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
No cracks in San Andreas
IF coping with the expected soft ground, tough and consistent five-year-old San Andreas should be very tough to beat in the Follow Limerick Racecourse On Insta Race.
Joseph O’brien’s charge is a five-time winner, with three of his wins coming on Dundalk’s polytrack. And, with the exception of his penultimate start, he has campaigned consistently this season, winning twice, at Dundalk and Fairyhouse.
Last time, San Andreas, who has won three times under today’s rider, apprentice Hugh Horgan, ran a cracker when going down by a half-length to Masen in the Sovereign Path (Premier) Handicap at Leopardstown.
A seven-furlong specialist, currently rated 105, San Andreas has quite a bit in hand on figures and, if acting in the ground, he should register his sixth career success.
Free Solo (rated 92) and Forest Of Dreams (91) are next best in terms of ratings, while the selection’s stablemate Dante’s Pass, successful on debut in a moderate Listowel maiden, is open to plenty of improvement.
With Colin Keane on Dewhurst duty in Newmarket, Chris Hayes, who rides Limerick so well, will be on board Noel Meade’s Chestnutter, with a favourite’s chance, in the opening two-year-old auction maiden.
This filly’s form includes a creditable fifth to the classy Sacred Bridge in the Ballyhane at Naas before failing narrowly, at 2/5, to Giselles Ausie in Navan last time. And she has been found a good opportunity here.
Another horse beaten at odds-on last time, Paddy Twomey’s Arctician, with a first-time visor, sets the standard in the Welcome Back To Limerick Racecourse Maiden.
Only third to Moss Tucker at Tipperary in early August, he holds stand-out juvenile form, notably a third behind Group 1 colts Laws Of Indices and Lucky Vega at the Curragh.