Weekend tips: Corps Des Pages can build on promising debut
Paddy Twomey can strike at Limerick with Corps Des Pages. Picture: Healy Racing.
Limerick plays host to a Flat racing programme and Corps Des Pages can build on a promising debut by taking the first race, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, for Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee. Unraced at two, he started off in a Leopardstown maiden 13 days ago and ran a fine race to finish third behind O’Reilly and HMS Seahorse.
The winner gave the form a boost by running second to Kyprios yesterday in Cork and without factoring in likely improvement to the selection, that level of form gives him leading claims in this company. The drop to seven furlongs, from a mile, won’t be a problem and he can take this en route to better things.
Handel ran a fine race on his return, but the trip is likely to be sharp enough for him, and his chance is compromised by being drawn in stall 19. Dinamine ran well on his only start at two and is another worth considering.
Flagged caught the eye in defeat on her debut and can improve past two of her rivals who finished in front of her that day when they renew rivalry in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies’ Maiden.
Ger Lyons’ runner was the outsider of two Juddmonte runners for the yard and duly finished behind her stablemate, but she looked likely to improve plenty for the experience. She has four and a half lengths to make up on New York Angel, who finished second, and a little less on the 93-rated Ahandfulosummers, who finished third. Sure to be better for the run, she can come out on top this time.
There is a good card tomorrow in Navan, where Aidan O’Brien’s Willow can make a winning return to action in the listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes.
After a couple of reasonable efforts in defeat on her first two starts of last season, she was left off for the best part of three months and showed the benefit of it with a facile success in a maiden at Leopardstown.
She looks just the type to step up considerably this year and, while this is a decent test, the stable is in great form and she can add to the tally.
Thinking Of You is the highest rated in the race and deserving of plenty of respect, while Port Sunlight looked very smart when winning at Gowran and is another which must be given serious consideration.
The Ballydoyle team has a strong hand on the card, and Irish Derby winner Santiago will take beating in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes. Winner of the Queen’s Vase at Ascot before his Curragh success, he finished third to Stradivarius in the Goodwood Cup before running a close fourth to Galileo Chrome in the Doncaster Leger. He will surely step forward considerably for today’s run but has the class to make a winning start.
1:15 Corps Des Pages (nap)
1:45 Flagged (nb)
2:20 Mk Drama
2:55 Mazara
3:30 Springbank
4:05 Iowa
4:40 High Lake
5:15 Indignation
1:15 Handel
1:45 New York Angel
2:20 Fearless Girl
2:55 Fictitious Lady
3:30 Blackpoint
4:05 Soaring Sky
4:40 Marvel Fan
5:15 Sil Ver Klass
1:50 Amalfi Coast
2:20 The Cola Kid
2:50 Silver Spear
3:20 Lipizzaner (nb)
3:50 Willow (nap)
4:20 Santiago
4:50 Melliferous
5:20 Purdey’s Gift
1:50 Andreas Vesalius
2:20 Pretty Smart
2:50 Iva Batt
3.20 Measure Of Magic
3:50 Thinking Of You
4:20 Master Of Reality
4:50 Scott Lang
5:20 Custers Mistake
