We have our hands full at Shelbourne on Saturday with 11 runners in the first round of the Sporting Press Irish Oaks.
Sidarian Nell and Rural Maui are both in the second heat. Nell missed her break in the Limerick Oaks but is back in trap one and I think she will run well. Maui won the Limerick race after taking a flyer. She really can ping the lids and I will be disappointed if they both don’t qualify.
In the following heat we have Clares Queen and Sidarian Riva. Queen had tonsillitis and might be a bit rusty. She also really wants 575 but I expect her to qualify. Riva is absolutely flying at home and I expect a very good run out of her.
Slippery Louise goes in heat four. She also reached the Puppy Oaks Final but doesn’t have the early of some of the others.
Sidarian Pearl, who won the Puppy Oaks is in great form and is very well in herself. I would expect a very big run from her.
Ballydoyle Honey is defending her title in the sixth heat. She has been in season and still has some milk. This is her first 525 since coming back and whatever she does, she should come on for the run.
I thought Ballinakil Clare was unlucky in the Puppy Oaks Final and she hasn’t done so well in the draw. She really needs the rails but is a great battler and I would expect her to come through the heat without too many difficulties.
Slippery Thelma, who is a sister to Louise, has more early but doesn’t stay so well. I would still expect her to qualify from heat eight.
Mullaca Psycho, who went well in a competition at Clonmel earlier in the year is in a similar position to Honey in that she is coming back after season. She goes in heat 10 and we are hoping she can get through because she should come on for the race.
Ardrahan Zindi runs in the same heat. She has been off with injury and we are hoping she is far enough forward.
On Sunday we have three in the same semi final of the Red Mills Produce Stakes at Clonmel.
There is no hiding the fact that Clares Rocket is the dog they have to beat. He was very tired the day after he broke the track record and I was very concerned. It took him several days to recover but he was better after the next run.
In the last few days he has really pleased me and I am hoping for a big run from him on Sunday. Rocket is as good a dog as I have ever handled; I just hope he is a lucky dog.
We also have Jo Jo Fantasy in trap one. He is inclined to jump up and down in the boxes and it cost him his break in his last race. He was last dog at the second bend and was unlucky not to win. He really wants the middle but I am very hopeful of him qualifying.
Tynwald Dinney is our third finalist, and I was rather hoping that he would be in the other semi; not that there aren’t good dogs in there.
Dinney is owned by Terry Corden who is a great man to train for. He is only a young dog and he can only improve with experience. Fingers crossed he gets through on Sunday.
1st semi final
2nd semi final
Looking further ahead, we are due to have three runners in the Champion Stakes at Tralee: Skywalker Rory, Milldean Puma and Rural Hawaii.
We also have four runners in the 550 stake at Limerick: Hovex Blaze, who is runner particularly well at the moment, Coran Sky, Notorious Ben and Milldean Cougar.
I was delighted with the return of the young dog Sidarian Eska, who I mentioned at the start of the year as a pup to follow this year. He clocked 28.13 at Tralee who has had a couple of setbacks with a dew claw and metacarpal which meant we couldn’t put him in the Produce Stakes.
His comeback trial was at Shelbourne on Thursday night and he clocked 18.50 for the sprint which is nine spots outside the track record. Fingers crossed we have turned the corner with him.
