17:15 Leopardstown

Sunday 13 May 2018

All14:0514:3515:1015:4016:1516:4517:15

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick Memorial Maiden

Off time: 17:16 | Winning time: 2m 35.72s

(9)

Cypress Creek²⁰³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: J A Heffernan| T: A P O'Brien

7/1

Galileo colt, ran well enough in 1m maiden here in October on second outing under sympathetic ride once beaten. Retains plenty of potential going up in trip.

Form: 75-

(10)

King D'Argent³⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Colin Keane| T: G M Lyons

9/1

Kendargent gelding, improved on reappearance / second start when fourth of five (beaten 4½L) in 1m2f maiden at Naas on soft to heavy going. Has more to find to open account.

Form: 64

(2)

Make The Switch

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Declan McDonogh| T: D K Weld

14/1

Dansili colt, makes debut for Weld team here. Trainer going along nicely with three-year-old crop so far in 2018 for 16% strike rate.

Form:

(11)

Moktamel³²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Chris Hayes| T: K Prendergast

25/1

Epaulette colt cost 26,000 gns foal before changing hands for £70,000 as a yearling. Well held both runs, over 7f at the Curragh last summer and, last month, over 1m2½f at Dundalk.

Form: 0-4

(4)

National Security^p1¹⁸⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger| BF

10/1

Interesting Teofilo colt out of a Montjeu mare who holds fancy entries in the Derby and Irish Derby still. Didn't achieve much in sole juvenile run at Dundalk, cheekpieces sported for return / turf bow.

Form: 8-

(3)

Southern France^t²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: D O'Brien| T: A P O'Brien

8/15

Galileo colt did all bar win on debut at Navan (1m2f, yielding to soft) having seemingly taken a while for the penny to drop before rallying strongly. Strong contender to go one better for powerful trainer.

Form: 2

(12)

Stronghold^t1

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: D M Redmond⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien

40/1

Teofilo colt cost €110,000 as a yearling, wears tongue strap on debut outing. Is a half-sister to useful two-year-old 6f/7f winner Aboulie.

Form:

(1)

Union Gap

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: S Foley| T: N Meade

33/1

Canford Cliffs gelding with a nice mixture of speed and stamina in pedigree, yard in really good form right (8-27) but facing plenty decent rivals on debut.

Form:

(6)

Victory Salute^t1

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A P O'Brien

14/1

Galileo colt is a brother to three winners, including very smart 1m4f-1m6f winner Bondi Beach. One of three for the trainer, will need to go some to master stablemates with experience.

Form:

(7)

Last Mystery

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: W J Lee| T: W McCreery

33/1

Mastercraftsman filly, unraced dam closely related to US Grade 3 winner Happy Hunting. Market can reveal more on expectations today.

Form:

(5)

Miraculum

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Ronan Whelan| T: J S Bolger

33/1

Teofilo filly, half-sister to two winners. Dam a sister to sprint winner. Does hold some interesting entries, including the Irish Oaks, but others preferred today.

Form:

(8)

Niku²⁸⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: C O'Donoghue| T: Mrs J Harrington

20/1

High Chaparral filly and a half-sister to French Group 1 winner Cloth Of Stars. Well beaten in 1m Curragh maiden in July. Up in trip and should be more to come in time.

Form: 8-

Forecasts

Southern France (8/15), Cypress Creek (7/1), King D'Argent (9/1), National Security (10/1), Victory Salute (14/1), Make The Switch (14/1), Niku (20/1), Moktamel (25/1), Last Mystery (33/1), Miraculum (33/1), Union Gap (33/1), Stronghold (40/1)

SOUTHERN FRANCE took a long time for the penny to drop on debut last month at Navan, perhaps not relishing the conditions underfoot. He flew home like the proverbial train for a narrow defeat in the end and, with that experience and better ground, should take some halting this time upped in trip. Stablemate Cypress Creek has improvement in him up in trip while King D'Argent is another capable of a step forward. Make The Switch and the selections' stablemate Victory Salute are amongst the lurking dangers new to the track.