RACING/BELLEWSTOWN LIMERICK PREVIEW:WAYNE LORDAN has already won the winter jockey championship this year and aims to maintain his pursuit of the real thing at Bellewstown tomorrow.
Up to yesterday evening the Cork-born rider was on the 30-winner mark for the turf campaign, which puts him on the heels of both Pat Smullen (33) and Johnny Murtagh (32) in the table.
Lordan secured the first title over the winter on Dundalk’s all-weather circuit with 13 victories, but has maintained that momentum since the turf season started in late March.
He has three rides at Bellewstown tomorrow, including Thursday’s Leopardstown winner Kedleston, and will be hoping to continue his progress towards a first champion jockey crown.
“The two yards he rides for are going well and obviously, Wayne’s trying to ride as many winners as possible. If he can keep going then obviously the championship would become a priority,” Lordan’s agent, Ryan McElligott, said yesterday.
Next week’s July meeting at Newmarket could see some of the top Irish jockeys make the journey, but Lordan is first likely to team up with Wachman’s Fire Lily in Tuesday’s re-scheduled Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse.
However, her stable companion True Verdict remains a contender for the Cherry Hinton Stakes.
Kedleston is joined in the race by another scorer at Leopardstown, Little Arrows, but both could end up behind Cheval Rouge, who found only Winning Impact too good at the Curragh last weekend on very soft ground.
Lordan is on Sailrfly in the opening three-year-old maiden, a mile event that could end up going to The Ring Is King if ground conditions remain very soft.
Faranadooney would have no trouble coping with testing going judged on a hurdles win at Listowel last time and before that only found One Cool Shabra was too good on the flat at Clonmel. He looks one to contend with in the mile and six handicap.
Aidan O’Brien’s Chicago is hardly one of the leading lights at Ballydoyle but he does look to have enough in the locker to provide the trainer’s 17-year-old daughterSarah with a success in the concluding amateur riders handicap.
The weather prevented Ruby Walsh returning to action yesterday evening and he has five rides at Limerick tomorrow including on Sicilian Secret in the Beginners Chase.
Willie Mullins will be hoping ground conditions don’t deteriorate too much for this former smart bumper performer and Tony Martin will hope for the same as Pires goes in the two-mile conditions hurdle under Walsh.
Walsh also looks a significant booking for Henry De Bromhead’s The Folkes Choice in the opening hurdle. Walsh has a good record when teaming up with the Tramore based trainer. Campbonnais found only Ainama too good at Roscommon last month but can go one better in the Galway Plate Trial.
