RACING:THE GALWAY festival winner Stunning View can secure a Listed success at Killarney this evening almost 15 years since his famous half-brother Desert King won his first race during the Roses festival at the now defunct Tralee track.
Desert King went on to win three Group One races including a 1997 classic double in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Irish Derby. That contributed to a hefty €160,000 purchase price for Stunning View as a yearling and Dermot Weld looks to have found a good black-type opportunity for the now four-year-old.
After a curtailed three-year-old campaign, Stunning View made up for lost time when notching a valuable Premier Handicap success in the Topaz Mile at Galway. Both Weld and jockey Pat Smullen continue to hold the horse in high regard and he faces 10 opponents in today’s Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes.
They include Royal Blue Star who chased home Stunning View at Galway and the Ballydoyle hope Wild Wind who was Classic-placed when third to Golden Lilac in May’s French 1,000 Guineas.
Coolmore are represented by the top three in the Nursery and David Wachman’s Money Soldier could be the best option after running third to Greek Canyon at Gowran over seven furlongs.
Tommy Stack is always to be respected at the Kerry meetings and Betrothed is preferred to the heavily penalised Fairylike in the mile handicap while first time blinkers could work for Taracena in the fillies maiden. Curragh trainer Jim Gorman notched a winner at the Curragh on Saturday and Blue Eyed Miss may be worth a bet in the second mile handicap.
