14:00 Curragh

Sunday 9 August 2020

All14:0014:3515:1015:4016:1516:5017:2517:55

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden

Off time: 14:00 | Winning time: 1m 26.67s

(4)

Baton Rouge⁶²

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: E J McNamara| T: A P O'Brien

10/1

Steps up to 7f after running a very quiet race on debut when only 14th of 18 at Naas (6f; good to firm). A lot more needed in this on that evidence but a surprise if he wasn't capable of it coming from this stable.

Form: 0

(9)

Caesiere^p1¹⁶

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: Robbie Colgan| T: M J Smith

250/1

Cheekpieces go on after he was tailed off on debut at Down Royal (5f; good) 16 days ago. This looks a better race than that so he has masses to prove and is subsequently opposed for now.

Form: 7

(8)

Colour Sergeant²²

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: Gary Carroll| T: G M Lyons

7/2

Third on debut in what looked a decent race at the time. Form has taken a couple of knocks since (winner well-beaten in the Tyros Stakes & the runner-up found one too good at Galway recently) but he should be bang there again if in similar form.

Form: 33

(3)

Esteem

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: S M Crosse| T: Donnacha O'Brien

25/1

Zoffany colt. Half-brother to three winners including 6f two-year-old winner Vallambrosa. Yard enjoying an eye-catching strike-rate over the last two weeks (5-16; 31%) & he could be one to monitor in the betting.

Form:

(10)

Iowa⁴²

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A P O'Brien

1/1

Wasn't given a hard time of things when sixth on debut over C&D in race won by better fancied stablemate Hudson River. Should be a different proposition now with that experience under his belt & subsequently likely to go very close.

Form: 6

(6)

New Treasure

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger

14/1

New Approach colt closely related to 1m AW winner Thrifty One. Half-brother to 7f winner Aerialist. Dam won over 6f as a two-year-old & was a 7f Group Three winner. Makes some appeal on paper but a surprise if he won this first time out.

Form:

(7)

Noble Seal^p1²⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: S Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington| BF

17/2

Failed to build upon what was a highly promising debut when only seventh at Leopardstown (7f; good) last time out. Evidently more was expected (sent off 15-8f) & he could be worth giving another chance to in first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 47

(11)

Tashgheel

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: O J Orr| T: D K Weld

22/1

€240,000 yearling by Dark Angel. Dam won over 5f as a two-year-old/half-sister to 6f 'Listed' winner. This trip would look as far as he would want to go at this early stage of his career. Market check advised.

Form:

(5)

Thunder Moon

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: Declan McDonogh| T: J P O'Brien

10/1

By Zoffany. Half-brother to the smart pair of Table Rock ('Listed' winner) & Jaqen H'Ghar (7f-1m4f winner including as a two-year-old). Betting likely to prove informative with this debutante.

Form:

(2)

Tignanello

Age: 2| Weight: 9-7| J: M C Hussey| T: A P O'Brien

18/1

Newcomer by Galileo. Second foal out of a dam who won over trips ranging from 5f-1m1f in US (including as a two-year-old). Probably the outsider of the stables three runners on paper.

Form:

(1)

Creative Mojo²¹

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: W J Lee| T: A Oliver

250/1

Showed no improvement whatsoever from low-key effort on debut to finish down the field over C&D three weeks ago. Gains a handicap mark after this & best watched until entering that sphere.

Form: 08

Forecasts

Iowa (1/1), Colour Sergeant (7/2), Noble Seal (17/2), Thunder Moon (10/1), Baton Rouge (10/1), New Treasure (14/1), Tignanello (18/1), Tashgheel (22/1), Esteem (25/1), Creative Mojo (250/1), Caesiere (250/1)

This looks a wide-open maiden with there being no standout contender on form, and as such the newcomers Tashgeel, Thunder Moon, Tignanello & Esteeem are all worth noting in the market. Although he needs to bounce back from disappointing favourite backers when last seen, Noble Seal could be worth forgiving that effort and handing another chance to given he is up against less demanding opposition on paper. Similar comments apply to Colour Sergeant, but preference is for IOWA who wasn't knocked around on debut over C&D. He made progress under hands and heels late in the day & should be a different horse altogether now with that experience on his side.