Sport

Requin Bleu to win again for O'Brien

THERE is a glut of holiday racing this weekend with meetings at Naas today, Tralee and Sligo tomorrow and Leopardstown and Tralee…

By MICHAEL O'FARRELL
Sat Jun 01 1996 - 01:00

THERE is a glut of holiday racing this weekend with meetings at Naas today, Tralee and Sligo tomorrow and Leopardstown and Tralee on Monday. Although Naas has long been known as "the punter's graveyard" some short priced favourites should oblige.

Aidan O'Brien has charge of a potentially good three year old in Requin Bleu, who impressed on his debit at the Curragh and again over this course last month. Having defeated Parade Sauvage at headquarters he had no difficulty in beating Pro Trader at Naas and should confirm the placings over this extra furlong, albeit 3lb better off.

Parade Sauvage was subsequently second behind Tout A Coup in a conditions race at the Curragh and was then outclassed in the French 1,000 Guineas. She comes down to earth in the Go Racing In Kildare Maiden in which she should open her account.

O'Brien may win the Harristown Handicap with the top weight Troysend, who finished not that far off Ger's Royale in a Curragh handicap last time out and had earlier run Idris and the English trained Cadeaux Tryst to a respectable third place in a listed race at Leopardstown. The Dermot Weld trained Daili looks the danger. Weld yesterday, supplemented his recent acquisition, Identify, for next Friday's Epsom Oaks. Identify may not have had a lot to beat at the Curragh last weekend but she could not have been more impressive.

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Jim Bolger, Identify's former trainer should win the Basin Street Maiden with Sandomierz and the Athy Handicap with Don't Care. Tamani had some promising runs last year and may win the Kilcullen Maiden for in form Kevin Prenderast.

. In addition to Identify, Magnificient Style and Whitewater Affair were also supplemented yesterday for the Epsom Oaks. The trio's connections each paid £15,000 to add their filly to the £200,000 added contest.

. Richard Dunwoody notched his seventh consecutive century at Stratford this evening with victory aboard Phalarope.

It's nice to get it up again," beamed the jockey. "In the past week myself and my agent Robert Parsons decided to go for it as it was possible.

"But I must admit I didn't expect to get the 100 at the beginning of the year as I was riding a lot of the time in Ireland where I partnered 42 winners this season.

Dunwoody is the only member of the weighing room jumps boys who can boast clocking up tons for the past seven seasons.