Riviera Queen has her sights lowered in the fillies’ maiden at Bellewstown on Friday evening and can make the breakthrough.
The Jessica Harrington-trained filly was backed from massive prices into 11/2 on her penultimate start in maiden company at Leopardstown and ran really well in a competitive heat to finish third to Wingspan.
That form looks solid enough with the fifth-placed horse, Quadruple, scoring in handicap company at Limerick recently.
Both the winner and Riviera Queen went on to contest the Group Three Salsabil Stakes on their next outing with the pair finding life tough behind subsequent Oaks winner Ezeliya at Navan.
Back in a much lower grade now, Riviera Queen looks capable of striking and Keithen Kennedy takes a useful 7lb off her back again now.
Stable jockey Shane Foley sticks with the Frankel filly Comic Book and that’s not a surprise as she belongs to prominent owner Zhang Yuesheng.
Riviera Queen has the stronger form, though, and gets the vote.
A bigger danger may be the Ballydoyle filly Andromeda who was placed in three maidens last term.
The form of those efforts looks fairly strong, including chasing home stablemate Opera Singer first time. A belated return is a slight worry but she’d be a big player if running up to her juvenile form.
Another horse taking a drop in class is Shocker in the median sires’ series maiden earlier on the card.
The Eoghan O’Neill-trained gelding was outclassed in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot last time but had run a big race previously in a Tipperary maiden.
He was nabbed late on by Surpass that day and with an official mark of 78 he sets a decent standard now in this race, run over just shy of a mile.
The form was given a boost at Tipperary on Wednesday with thewinner following up in good style.
In the other maiden, over the minimum trip, Yefimenko looks like the one to beat after a big show on her debut at the Curragh.
The Ger Lyons-trained filly made the running first time before being claimed by Owj Legacy inside the final furlong in a solid maiden.
With her highest-rated rival the 72-rated Emerald Harmony in this contest she should be good enough to open her account.
SELECTIONS
4.05 Gobi Star
4.40 Shocker (Dbl)
5.15 Blackcastle Storm
5.50 Yefimenko
6.25 Elliott
7.00 Riviera Queen (Nap)
7.35 Party Moon
8.10 Mater Matuta
