RACING:AN ALREADY incredible week for Dermot Weld at Galway could continue as he sends Rock Critic back into battle in this afternoon's Ladbrokes Biggest Names Best Prices Handicap.
The six-year-old has played his part in Weld’s Galway assault by running out an easy winner of a mile handicap on Thursday afternoon.
He drops in trip and takes a rise in class for today’s feature, but he is still not one to oppose.
Rock Critic won with plenty to spare two days ago, and had he gotten out sooner his victory would have been even more emphatic.
He takes his chance under just a 5lb penalty and from his excellent draw Rock Critic should succeed.
Weld’s Blue White Fire carries topweight in the nursery and he will be a popular choice.
However, preference is for the Bellewstown maiden winner Dark Passion.
The Ger Lyons runner finished over seven lengths behind Blue White Fire on their only previous meeting, but he has improved since and meets that rival on 10lb better terms.
Also worth siding with on today’s card is Mannheim. He looked like a colt who would improve considerably from his first run when he was third to stablemate Triumphant at Gowran several weeks ago.
The week-long spectacular at Ballybrit comes to a close tomorrow when the Connacht Tribune Handicap Chase takes centre stage, and Truckers Delight could succeed on his second outing of the week.
He made a mistake at the last fence in a conditions chase won by Sarteano on Tuesday evening, and that was possibly the difference between winning and having to settle for fourth.
His close fourth in this race last year is evidence Truckers Delight can cope with the drop back in trip.
John Kiely, who began the meeting with an opening-night double, could also send out the last winner of the week in Blossom Gate. She looked a horse of potential when making a winning debut in a Cork bumper earlier this month.
Tomorrow Cork stages an all-flat fixture headed by the Group Three Irish Stallion Farms Give Thanks Stakes, which could come the way of John Oxx’s Haziyna.
This filly has acquitted herself well since moving out of handicaps and her last two efforts at stakes level indicate that she has a leading chance. Her second to Quest For Peace at Roscommon was quite a decent run and, on ratings, Haziyna has almost nothing to find.
Spin, one of four runners for Aidan O’Brien, could be her chief threat. She boasts the singularly best piece of form on offer in this race by virtue of her second to the top-class Banimpire in the Blue Wind Stakes at Naas over two months ago.
In the Platinum Stakes, last year’s winner, Hen Night, bids to give David Wachman his third straight win in the race. She faces a tougher assignment than she did 12 months ago and the Irish 1,000 Guineas fourth Claiomh Solais is selected.
Jim Bolger’s charge has been running well at Group Three lately and the drop back in trip and the switch to quicker ground than she encountered last time will help her. The talented Alazna should also be involved.
Obviously didn’t run badly on his first outing at Gowran earlier this month when a slow start didn’t help his cause. He should have progressed well for that outing and could win the concluding maiden.
