One To Note For Galway?

I am down south for my annual trip to Wimbledon so this page may not be updated for the next fortnight.

Just looking back to yesterday’s Irish Derby, the result confirmed what we long suspected that there is barely more than a pound or two between this season’s middle-distance three-year-olds.

Capri won on the nod from Cracksman, with Wings Of Eagles a short-head away third and Waldgeist beaten two lengths in fourth.

It didn’t surprise me to see Capri make up the three and three-quarter lengths deficit with Wings Of Eagles from Epsom because, despite what trainer Aidan O’Brien said in the week about the colt not requiring soft ground, the fact is that his four victories have now come with give underfoot.

Capri looks an ideal type for the St Leger, although again there may be others with similar claims.

I didn’t fancy Cracksman at all, but he ran another sound race on just his fourth start. I had expected Waldgeist to appreciate the step up in trip but he didn’t manage to confirm last season’s Saint-Cloud form with the winner. I expect Andre Fabre would have been a little disappointed with this performance.

The horse that most interested me yesterday was The Plan Man, a 74-rated dual-purpose seven-year-old trained by Tony Martin. I wasn’t sure whether yesterday’s 2m handicap, the race immediately after the Irish Derby, was the target and I’m still none the wiser now. The horse was held up in arrears before being switched passing the two-furlong marker to come home well, never nearer than at the finish.

I suspect connections have Galway in mind, perhaps back over hurdles and on the Flat as there are opportunities for him in both disciplines.

I’ll be back in a fortnight’s time.

Bye for now

Marten