With Michael Kinane on King George duty at Ascot, Pat Shanahan gets the opportunity to prove yet again what an able substitute he is by riding Casey Tibbs in this afternoon's Group Three Meld Stakes at the Curragh.
As second rider to Dermot Weld, Shanahan's Group winning opportunities are rare but last year's Derby win on Zagreb proved that when they come up, they usually come up in spades. Casey Tibbs may be no Zagreb but he is a decent colt who looks up to the task of beating today's likely favourite Strawberry Roan.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained filly has been, quite frankly, something of a disappointment since chasing home stable companion Classic Park in the 1,000 Guineas. An unlucky passage through that race provoked real hopes of her landing the Irish Derby but she was a bitter disappointment, trailing home only eighth.
Frankie Dettori reported he felt Strawberry Roan didn't stay in the Derby but she seemed to disprove that when running fourth in the Oaks two weeks later. It's hard to escape the conclusion that so far in her three-year-old career Strawberry Roan has promised more than she has delivered and while the Meld looks an ideal opportunity for her, she looks worth opposing.
In fact on the formbook, Casey Tibbs has the clear beating of her having finished ahead of Strawberry Roan in the Derby despite appearing not to stay. The pair also met at Leopardstown in April when Casey Tibbs produced such a turn of foot to win the Ballysax, with Strawberry Roan only fourth, that in hindsight it's not surprising he didn't stay at the Curragh.
Today's 10 furlongs should be ideal and although John Dunlop's Amid Albadou ran second to the smart Cap Juluca at Epsom last time, and holds Green Card on the form that saw him run the Jersey Stakes winner, Among Men, to a short head at Kempton in May, Casey Tibbs' impressive finishing kick can be too much for him and Strawberry Roan.
Shanahan could well have got into winning mode before that before that, courtesy of Ladies Gallery in the Newbridge Handicap. The Con Collins-trained mare may be better on softer ground than she is likely to get today but is a consistent sort whose third to Ancaty at Tralee in June reads pretty well considering she is now 13lb better off for four and a half lengths. That form could hold more relevance to the result than that of the maiden winner Ganaway and the Down Royal winner Candide.
Possibly the most interesting race will be the last, the Connell Race, where three decent three-year-olds make belated seasonal debuts. Of the three, Swift Gulliver was the highest rated as a juvenile which is not surprising, considering Jim Bolger's colt twice beat the subsequent 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Desert King. Game and consistent, Swift Gulliver will be a formidable opponent if retaining that level of ability but he may just favour softer ground.
Desert Ease was a black type winner at the Curragh last season but preference is for John Oxx's Dieses colt Nobility, an easy winner of his only start last season at Tipperary.
Lightning Star, the horse that kicked Christy Roche at Naas on Wednesday, makes a belated debut in the Merrion Race. Not surprisingly Roche has elected to ride Saratoga Springs instead and this El Gran Senor colt can successfully follow up an impressive victory at Gowran last time.
