Valencia poised to open account at the Curragh
The Joseph O'Brien-trained Valencia should open her account in the McGuinness Maintenance Irish EBF Maiden on the first day of the Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival at the Curragh.
This Lope De Vega filly, who missed her intended seasonal return at Leopardstown recently, earned an official mark of 87 in three starts as a juvenile and sets a decent standard in this seven-furlong affair.
Seventh behind Sunday's Irish 1,000 Guineas favourite Lake Victoria on her debut over this course and distance last June, she stepped up on her second start, when chasing home Guineas second favourite Swelter in a Leopardstown maiden.
Valencia contested the valuable Goffs Million on her final juvenile start and performed creditably of finish fourth, beaten four and a half lengths, behind stablemate Apples And Bananas.
That form suggests Valencia should be more than capable of a maiden success, before stepping into stakes company. And this looks an ideal starting-point for her season, with Dylan Brown McMonagle, on his first day back after suspension, in the saddle.
Of the others with form, Collecting Coin and Poweracclaim might prove the biggest threats to Valencia while the Dermot Weld-trained newcomer Fingerpaint, a Kingman filly, would be of interest if she attracts market support.
Jessica Harrington, who enjoyed a welcome change of luck with Thrifty Of Digby in Roscommon on Monday, has prospects with once-raced Glitter And Glory in the opening two-year-old auction maiden.
By Lucky Vega, this filly did plenty wrong on her debut in a hot Naas maiden last month but shaped with promise.
Slowly away, she ran into traffic before coming home well to fill third spot, beaten more than eight lengths, behind Simply Astounding and Cape Sounion.
That experience will stand to her today and, unless there's a smart newcomer in the field, she might be capable of opening her account.
The featured Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes will see Aidan O'Brien's Shackleton, a potentially smart stayer, make his seasonal debut.
Winner of a nine-furlong maiden at this venue, Shackleton ended last season with a third in the Zetland at Newmarket.
He looks a colt with potential and, if close to full fitness, might outpoint similarly-rated Tiberius Thunder and Thrice and Johnny Murtagh's impressive Navan maiden winner Reyenzi.
There's also jumps action in Downpatrick, where Gordon Elliott's Ayr bumper winner Jazz De Cotte, no match for Black Heather on his hurdling bow at Naas, should get punters off to winning start in the Randox Maiden Hurdle.
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