John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Wednesday.
Renaissance going for four-timer
Regal Renaissance is a mare who’s thriving over fences this summer and she looks capable of making it four wins on the bounce in the handicap at Worcester over two miles seven furlongs (14:25).
She began her winning run at Ludlow in May on what proved to be her final start for Henry Daly and has since kept up the good work for Newmarket trainer Jack Jones who has a small but successful jumps string in his dual-purpose yard. Jones had seven winners from just 24 runners over jumps last season, while Regal Renaissance has provided both his wins from six runners in that sphere this term.
Bought from her former yard for £22,000, Regal Renaissance made a winning start for Jones in another mares’ handicap at Uttoxeter in June, putting in a more assured round of jumping than at Ludlow (when jumping repeatedly left) with Sean Bowen taking over in the saddle and registering a first win over three miles. Back down in trip, Regal Renaissance defied a further rise in the weights when beating the formerly useful Fringill Dike in a three-runner contest at Market Rasen, quickly setting the issue when jumping on two out. Regal Renaissance faces more rivals here than for any for recent wins but is only 2 lb higher than for her latest success and heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings with good prospects of going in again.
Concorde can land listed contest
The prolonged dry spell is taking its toll on field sizes in Britain but in Ireland there’s no shortage of runners at the evening meeting at Naas which features a couple of listed sprints. The first of those is the Marwell Stakes for two-year-old fillies over five furlongs (18:30).
Three of the runners make the journey over from Britain and that trio is headed by Harry Eustace’s Salisbury debut winner Shimmering Sun who was last in action in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot where she took time to find her stride but kept on for seventh. Both fillies who have run since among those who finished ahead of her there have been successful. Kevin Philippart de Foy’s million-euro filly Silent Beauty fared less well at Royal Ascot, finishing in rear in the Albany Stakes, but a repeat of her debut form when winning at Yarmouth would bring her into the equation. Karl Burke’s Tropical Crown has a bit more to find on form, but she was a comfortable winner of a novice at Beverley on her debut earlier in the month and looks sure to improve.
However, the visitors could be kept at bay by Concorde Landed who is one of two in the field for Paddy Twomey. A €200,000 breeze-up purchase, the daughter of Sioux Nation made a successful debut in a maiden over course and distance earlier in the month in the manner of an above-average filly, quickening clear once produced over a furlong out to win readily by five lengths from the Ballydoyle filly Snowing. Owned by Bond Thoroughbred who like to have runners at the Ebor meeting, Concorde Landed holds a Lowther Stakes entry at York and she could easily book her place by winning here first.
Burke filly appeals back down in grade
The other listed race on the Naas card is the Yeomanstown Stud Irish EBF Stakes over six furlongs for fillies and mares (19:00). There is British representation in this one too and the visitors could have better luck in a contest which has been won for the last two seasons by David O’Meara with Nighteyes and William Haggas with Sky Majesty.
Timeform ratings suggest this is a wide-open contest and both British-trained fillies representing ‘Hot Trainers’ have leading chances. Roger Varian’s Coconut Cove ran her best race last time when a length second in a similar event, the Land O’Burns Fillies’ Stakes at Ayr, behind Argentine Tango, sticking to her task late on in that first try over five furlongs.
But preference is for fellow three-year-old Soul Love from the Karl Burke stable. The progressive daughter of Starman made it three wins from four starts when winning the listed Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood in May, showing a good attitude to edge ahead in the final hundred yards. She then stepped up on that effort in the Summer Stakes at York earlier this month when faring best of the three-year-olds in third behind smart mare Flora of Bermuda. Still unexposed, Soul Love makes plenty of appeal dropping back in grade and can get the better of thriving handicapper Sarahmae who looks the pick of the home team.
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