John Oxx can add to his already splendid record around Roscommon by winning both of the maiden races this evening, but his fellow Curragh trainer, Jim Gorman, looks to provide the value bet of the meeting with Dragon Century in the O'Gara Handicap.
Dragon Century races tonight off a mark of 56, which is a significant rating considering he was up to 85 during his two-year-old days and 80 when a four-yearold. The problem is that the passing of the years have not been kind to his legs.
To put it mildly, Dragon Century has been plagued with leg problems, and from February of last year to last Thursday he spent his time on the sidelines. Gorman has persevered, however, and it can pay off as there was more than enough in the six-year-old's reappearance at Galway to suggest he should at least go close now.
The horse clearly needed the run, but was still bang in contention on the turn in, and it was only in the region of five lengths that he was beaten by Berkeley Bay. The second, Celtic Lore, looked slightly unlucky on that occasion while Consalvo finished third.
Both run again tonight, but Dragon Century will have derived more benefit from that race than anything else, is potentially well handicapped and the Gorman horses have been running pretty well recently. The each way option looks attractive.
Oxx's chances are more obvious, as d'Anjou doesn't look to have a great field to beat in the Abbey Maiden and Insenor is back to the course and distance of her best effort to date in the Fuerty Maiden.
That came when the El Gran Senor filly failed to Worldly Treasure last month, but that form was advertised by the winner at Galway on Sunday and it's possible that Insenor didn't quite stay the 12 furlongs when subsequently third to Count Us In. Dashing D looks the most obvious danger to d'Anjou, who has been an expensive horse to follow at the Curragh and Leopardstown but should now get his head in front.
Charlie Swan's booking for Castleshane, a 97 rated horse on the flat, looks significant in the first three-year-old hurdle of the new jumps season.
Wemyss Quest may be worth a chance in the bumper.
