RACING:THE QUEEN of England's colours will be carried by Joseph O'Brien on Momentary in tomorrow's Group Three feature at Gowran Park but they won't be the only famous silks on view.
Also travelling from Britain for the Cordell Lavarack/Lanwades Stud Stakes will be Andromeda Galaxy who sports the well-known Wildenstein blue and is having her first start for the legendary Newmarket trainer Henry Cecil.
Even the third cross-channel raider, Beatrice Aurore, is not without her cosmopolitan links, as she is bred and owned by the famous Abba composer and musician Benny Andersson.
Ranged against them will be a home team sporting the colours of Coolmore, the Aga Khan and Kirsten Rausing but it looks like Juddmonte’s famous pink and green will emerge best courtesy of Caponata.
Only just beaten by Up in the Group Two Blandford Stakes last time, Caponata won her maiden over the course and distance last May and the forecast decent going should be in her favour.
Momentary is having just the fifth start of a career which boasts a notable piece of form in beating Shirocco Star in a Newbury Listed event last May. The latter has gone on to finish runner-up in both the English and Irish Oaks.
The Queen’s runner sports first-time-blinkers in Co Kilkenny tomorrow and O’Brien’s presence on her back, when a couple of fillies trained by his father also run, looks significant. But Caponata, and the Kilternan Stakes winner Alla Speranza, comprise tough opposition.
Danny Mullins enjoyed a red-letter day during the week with a 33 to 1 Kerry National victory on Faltering Fullback and can continue his good run with a cross-code double tomorrow.
Clarach will relish better going in the mares hurdle and may be more of a natural hurdler than the former Galway Plate heroine Blazing Tempo while Pepparpot looks a major player in the seven-furlong apprentice handicap.
Dawn Approach is the undoubted star of Jim Bolger’s juvenile team this year but Trading Leather is a smart sort too, as he proved when chasing home Battle Of Marengo on his debut in a valuable Listed race at Leopardstown on Champion Stakes day. The son of Teofilo looks like he will be hard to beat in the mile maiden.
The ex-Nicky Henderson-trained Carabinier is an interesting JP McManus-owned runner in the handicap hurdle but better going could make a big difference to Norther Bay in this.
