Amma Grace
This one goes in the ‘could be anything’ category having made a very pleasing debut despite being a beaten favourite at Cork in September, and then going on to score in a similar race on her last outing.
Amma Grace kept on well on that debut behind Passion, on yielding ground over a mile, to finish two and three-quarter lengths adrift in third. She then obliged over the same trip on soft ground at Leopardstown the following month, when going clear but having her lead reduced to three-quarters of a length where it matters most.
She is owned by Weld’s great patron Moyglare Stud and great things look to be hoped for as she’s entered in three top-class races and Paddy makes her a 25/1 poke for the Irish 1,000 Guineas, which could be a big price if she performs well in a trial.
Maria Christina
Perhaps a surprising inclusion as it took her four attempts to break her maiden in Naas last November, when she was pressed by runner-up Nan Yehi close home but prevailed by a length.
But to be fair to her, she had only gone down by about a length on two of those previous outings. It could have been the step up in trip to a mile and a half, or running on heavy ground for the first time, or even a combination of both that eventually assisted at the Kildare county town venue.
She had previously only been beaten a length over 10 furlongs at Roscommon, so the jury is out as to whether she’s equally effective over that trip and it was good to yielding when she put in an encouraging enough debut effort at Leopardstown the previous year. Perhaps she doesn’t need the ground like a bog.
Search For A Song
As an Irish St Leger heroine, this filly might not be the darkest in this list, but the fact that she’s won her last two outings over a mile and a half, and then a mile and six make her very interesting.
Leger winners often possess more speed than the winning trip might indicate and that previous victory in a 12-furlong Listed race at York may open a few doors.
She could either step up to two miles and become a Cup filly, or the master trainer might be able to find a Group race, possibly at the highest level over the mile and a half or shorter for her. Could it be in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh?
Shekhem
Non-racing fans sometimes say the sport is all luck, but a look at this guy’s form shows that that may not be the case. He was beaten a neck by Innisfree in a 7-furlong Galway maiden last July and then the same distance behind the same rival over a furlong further on his last start in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes two months’ later.
That last run was on heavy ground, so you’d expect him to get 10 furlongs at least. But, perhaps his most eye-catching piece of form is a second behind our best-backed horse for the Derby, Mogul, in a Curragh maiden in August.
If punters are correct about Mogul and that would give this Zoffany colt serious place claims at least in the Irish Derby, if he gets the mile and a half for which he is entered.
Taramansour
This fellow was expected to build on a nice debut when finishing third on his second start at Gowran Park in September. He was sent off a heavily-backed 9/4 joint-favourite, but he could only muster a disappointing fourth beaten over 11 lengths.
His first start had been over a mile on fast ground at Leopardstown, where he had found just Cormorant a length and a half too powerful.
It would be no surprise if that second outing can be ignored as it was run on completely different soft ground over the same trip. Given the right terrain, he can put the record straight and connections clearly hold him in high regard with an entry in the Irish Derby.
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