Among a cracking Friday evening card at The Curragh is the 1m 1f Group 3 Snow Fairy Stakes (18:20).
Trainer Jessica Harrington brings Trethias down in grade considerably from her last assignment, so she’s fancied to win this fillies and mares’ contest. The stable has sent out two of the last four winners of this.
In Trethias, Harrington has the comfortable winner of the Listed 1m 2f Oaks Trial at Naas who found Classic company too hot to handle last time out.
This is a return to much calmer waters and the daughter of Invincible Spirit beat the re-opposing Goddess nine lengths in her prep run for the Irish Oaks.
Although Trethias failed to fire over further here when last in action, the runner-up Search For A Song advertised the Trial form when scoring in a Listed affair at the York Ebor Festival last week.
Goddess has also improved since Naas, chasing home late-blooming mare Red Tea in a Group 2 over course and distance.
The winner has since come a 2 1/2 lengths third to Coronet at the highest level on bottomless ground in France.
While Goddess is feared at 3/1 with Betfred on that form and her subsequent Listed victory at Gowran Park, Trethias has been off since the Irish Oaks.
That 41-day break means she’s a fresher filly than her main market rival. Now back down in trip, Trethias looks a bit of value at 9/4 with 888Sport to resume winning ways for Harrington here.
Viadera and Mia Maria also have claims in Snow Fairy Stakes
Another in with a shout in this 12-runner field is the Ger Lyons trained Viadera.
Owned by Khalid Abdullah, the three-year-old daughter of Bated Breath won a Premier Handicap here on her second start of the season and has since gone in at Listed level.
Viadera has nothing to fear from re-opposing trio Simply Beautiful, Snapraeceps and Annie Fior if turning up in the same form as at Killarney.
With her yard still among the winners and jockey Colin Keane once again aboard, the extra furlong of this looks sure to suit.
It leaves Viadera as an alternative to Trethias and Goddess at 9/2 with BetVictor for the Snow Fairy Stakes.
Mia Maria is very lightly-raced, meanwhile, and trainer Demot Weld is no stranger to having winners of this race.
This daughter of Dansili broke her maiden tag on reappearance when beating useful form marker Belarkis by a cosy three-quarters of a length.
As Mia Maria was ridden under hands and heels by jockey Oisin Orr, her victory came unextended. After just two career starts, she’s open to more progress than almost anything else in the line-up.
Off a similar break to Trethias, there’s plenty more to come from Mia Maria who is another each-way contender for the Snow Fairy Stakes this year at 16/1 with Betfair.
Guildsman can get back on track in Round Tower
There are also two juvenile Group 3 races on the card and, in the second of those – the 6f Round Tower Stakes (17:20), Guildsman looks sure to give a better account of himself.
This Archie Watson trained Wootton Bassett colt ran out an impressive six-length debut winner at Goodwood on soft ground.
Connections sent Guildsman straight to Royal Ascot off the back of that and he was a fine, close-up third to Arizona in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes when beaten just three-quarters of a length.
The runner-up Threat and fifth horse home Golden Horde have both come out and won races at that higher level since.
Although then only fourth to Royal Lytham in the similar grade July Stakes at Newmarket, Guildsman still kept on well and was beaten a couple of lengths.
Nothing went right for him in the Richmond Stakes last time out. Guildsman reared up in the stalls as they opened and was slowly away as a result.
He had no chance of winning the race after such a poor start. If breaking better, however, then he looks value at 5/1 with Ladbrokes.
You can say the same of Fort Myers who was a place behind Guildsman in the Coventry.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, this son of War Front has since placed third to subsequent Group 1 winner Siskin over course and distance.
Fort Myers is the second string again from Ballydoyle, but a bigger price than Lope Y Fernandez who is down in trip.
That is not guaranteed to suit Ryan Moore’s mount who has done all his racing to date over 7f. It leaves Fort Myers as one to consider again at 9/2 with BetVictor in the Round Tower Stakes.
Cayenne Pepper the Flame Of Tara punt
Juvenile fillies also feature in the 1m Group 3 Flame Of Tara Stakes (16:50), where dual winner Cayenne Pepper gives handler Harrington claims of another winner.
This daughter of Australia beat the re-opposing A New Dawn by three-quarters of a length on her debut in a Leopardstown maiden. Cayenne Pepper ran on well to lead inside the final furlong for a ready victory.
It was all the more impressive given the runner-up had a 5lb claimer aboard. Cayenne Pepper has since followed-up over an extended 7f at Tipperary where jockey Shane Foley only needed to use hands and heels to account for Royal County Down by a cosy length.
With the prospect of even more to come and this extra distance sure to suit, Cayenne Pepper is 2/1 with Betway for the hat-trick in the Flame Of Tara.
Although still a maiden, O’Brien filly So Wonderful has run some fine faces in defeat and is feared most.
The daughter of War Front was a keeping on third and beaten four lengths by Love in a Group 3 over 7f on her penultimate start at Leopardstown.
So Wonderful has reversed that form since, however, when a running on fourth in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes here last week. Although beaten 1 3/4 lengths, the extra furlong also looks as though it will suit her.
Given connections, it would be no surprise to see So Wonderful make more progress. While she’s respected at 2/1 with Coral, that lack of a win made us side with Cayenne Pepper in this Flame Of Tara renewal.
Kattani worth a wager in Irish Cambridgeshire
The big betting race on this Curragh card is the 26-runner Irish Cambridgeshire – a 1m Premier Handicap (18:50).
In a typically fierce and wide-open renewal, Kattani has snuck in at the foot of the weights and looks an unexposed sort on handicap debut.
Trained by Weld for the Aga Khan, this three-year-old Tamayuz gelding is 2lb out of the weights on his official rating of 86.
However, Kattani was very visually impressive when scoring by five lengths over course and distance last time out in a maiden.
After finding a Naas sprint on debut too sharp for him and then a 10-furlong event at Cork just stretching his stamina too much when he lost second close home, he dropped back to an extended 7f.
Although a weakening fourth there when sent off favourite at Tipperary, Kattani got his act together here when last in action.
He made good headway on the nearside inside the two marker, was ridden to lead and stayed on strongly in the final furlong for a decisive victory.
The handicapper put Kattani up 14lb for that success. As the most lightly-raced in this big field, however, there’s plenty more to come from him.
Now sent handicapping for the first time and getting 6lb weight-for-age from his elders on race terms, Kattani appeals as a bit of each-way value at 12/1 with Paddy Power for the Irish Cambridgeshire.
Another to consider here is fellow three-year-old Cosmic Horizon for Joseph O’Brien.
This Excelebration colt was an unlucky loser last time out when just held a nose at Roscommon, but is 20/1 with Betfair to go one better.
Cosmic Horizon was giving the winner, Scorched Earth, 12lb so it was a fine effort in the circumstances. Prior to that, he also placed on three previous starts.
