Our Irish Eyes column previews today’s meetings at Listowel and Kilbeggan and Monday’s card at Naas.

Derby winner O’Brien can win again at Listowel today

Irish attention turns to Listowel and Kilbeggan for the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend in Ireland before a second day at Listowel on Monday as well as a cracking card at Naas. Naas in particular should not be missed as last year it featured the winners of the English 1000 Guineas and the English 2000 Guineas, Sky Lantern and Dawn Approach, who both ran out good winners of the two juvenile Listed events on the card on that occasion, but we will revert to that later.

First of all, we concentrate on Sunday’s action and our nap selection is our old friend Marchese Marconi, trained by Aidan O’Brien at Listowel. Having started the season getting beat at long odds-on in Dundalk, he has since notched up a double on his favoured heavy ground and he will get similar conditions again today. He was given an initial rating of 87 going into his last race and despite winning that conditions race by an easy six lengths, the handicapper has given him a chance and left him off the same mark for today’s contest, his first handicap.

He should easily capitalise on that before moving up the ranks. Whilst he is a long way below yesterday’s Derby winner Ruler Of The World there are similarities between the two. They both share the same sire in Galileo, both horses are trained by Aidan O’Brien and both are unbeaten in cheekpieces! That may not be the end of it either as Marchese Marconi might just win the Derby as well, except in his case it may be the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’, aka the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle at the end of the month. Today is his trial for that so expect him to take it in style.

Yesterday, the Tabor/Smith/Magnier alliance brought us the aforementioned Ruler Of The World at Epsom and today they bring us the slightly less imperiously named Ruler Of France at Listowel. The David Watchman trained two-year-old ran a cracker behind Expedition at Limerick a month ago. He should go on and win this today, despite the presence of yet another Aidan O’Brien trained Galileo and a decent prospect of Dermot Weld’s that finished third in a Leopardstown maiden which has subsequently worked out well.

If anything, the fact that these two powerful stables are represented in the race should ensure that we get a better price on Ruler Of France. Aidan O’Brien’s colt will need to be very smart to beat our selection on his debut whilst the trip should stretch Weld’s horse on breeding so Ruler of France gets the next best selection today.

Whilst the ground is heavy at Listowel, conditions are very different a couple of hours away at Kilbeggan, where they are watering to maintain the good to firm going! Nonetheless there is a maximum turnout for six of the seven races, resulting in some very competitive handicaps but Baby’s Hot is a mare that ran fourth here on good to firm ground two years ago and looks a solid bet to make the frame today. Definitely not one that could be called prolific, she has just only win to her name from 29 starts and she will be priced accordingly but she ran well last week at Cork on similar ground and the application of a visor for the first time today might just be what she needs.

Before we finish, we promised to return to Monday’s Naas card. Readers may recall that Irish Eyes tipped up a horse named Stubbs at The Curragh last Saturday but he was withdrawn allowing his stablemate Coach House to win. He is among six horses entered by Aidan O’Brien in tomorrow’s Rochestown Stakes but assuming he is declared, he will take beating in the race that set Dawn Approach on the road to stardom last season. Opposing him is likely to be Jim Bolger’s Club Wexford, who finished second to Coach House last Saturday, meaning we should get some sort of price about Stubbs.

Sunday

Nap: Marchese Marconi – 4.40 Listowel

Next Best: Ruler Of France – 2.10 Listowel

Each-Way Selection: Baby’s Hot – 4.20 Kilbeggan

Last Weekend

Sir John Hawkins (2/1) and Leading Light (4/6) were winners for Irish Eyes last weekend whilst the each-way selection in the Irish 2000 Guineas, Gale Force Ten, finished second (advised at 10/1).

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