Curragh Sunday Preview - 10/10/21

Tartan Skirt rates a clear top contender for Sunday's Curragh opener thanks to a solid 4th placed finish on debut up against more experienced, useful types.

The daughter of Mehmas tracked the pace well on that run, hitting the front a furlong out before just fading into 4th in the final stages.

Her opening RPR rating of 82 is a more than sufficient base mark to improve from, rating the highest recorded in this field of runners to date, whilst she also remains one of the least exposed off just one start, and open to plenty more progressions.

She drops back to 6f, looking likely to suit given the manner of her last attempt over 7f, and is sure to appreciate the lack of rainfall in the lead up to Sunday's racing with drying ground also expected to suit best.

Tranquil Lady built on her promising debut run at Gowran Park in August to improve vastly and land a maiden at Galway last time out by 3.25 lengths.

The daughter of Australia was an expensive £160,000 purchase as a yearling and has already signified a capability to be more than competitive at the this listed level thanks to that win.

She remains unexposed and open to have made plenty more progressions during her month off the track since that win and looks sure to relish the step up to 8f.

Joseph O'Brien is in decent form of late having saddled 12 winners across the last fortnight (15% S/R) and exactly half of his 2yo runners at the Curragh this season have finished in the first 3 home.

Power Under Me looks the most likely winner of the Listed Waterford Testimonial Stakes for the Ger Lyons and Colin Keane pairing who won this race in 2018.

The son of Mehmas will appreciate drying ground whilst he is also one of the lesser exposed runners in the race having had just 6 career starts.

A line can somewhat be drawn through his most recent run given the runner got upset in the stalls and never really recovered from that ordeal during the race.

Prior to that effort he had placed 3 times at Group 3 and Group 2 level and now drops back down to listed company to be competitive.

Should bounce back today and this looks a more than attainable affair for a horse of his standards.

Rough Diamond remains lightly raced for Edward Lynam having had just 7 careers runs to date and looks an interesting proposition here dropping back down to the 5f trip.

The son of Starspangledbanner enjoys it at the Curragh and has won and ran big races at the track in the past.

His best form to date however came on his only start over 5f at Tipperary, finishing 3rd, just half a length behind Master Matt and Strong Johnson, now rated 104 and 100 respectively.

Primo Uomo, back in 4th that day, is now rated 91, signifying the high level of potential possessed by Rough Diamond now tackling this trip for just the second time off a mark of 81, further reduced by 5lb claimer Mike Sheehy in the saddle.

He still has plenty scope for improvement and if running to the level we have seen him over this trip previous, we can expect him to go extremely close with him looking so well handicapped heading into the race.

Willie Mullins has won 3 of the last 6 runnings of the Cesarewitch Handicap and interestingly employs last years winning jockey Ronan Whelan on board one of his contenders in Exchange Rate.

Exchange Rate remains fairly lightly raced for a 9yo and was a winner on the flat over 14f off a mark of 89 in 2018, placing 2nd off the same mark on his final run that season in November.

He was subsequently not seen again until June 2021, and returned with a positive showing at Listowel over the 2 mile trip to finish 4th off a revised returning mark of 82.

The son of Monsun was expected to kick on from that returning run off this attractive mark last time out at Galway, and went off a well supported favourite for the contest, however was unable to deliver and ran below form.

He's since been off the track for another 76 days, presumably to ensure he's fully back to it given how long he was off the track beforehand and marks his return in this contest.

Looks a very interesting proposition and under the impression that a bounce back run looks more than likely here.

Linus Larrabee may just be open to outrunning his odds in this contest after catching the eye last time out at Cork.

Edward Lynam is known to do well with his sprinting prospects and Linus Larrabee found himself repeatedly short of room when held up in the rear last time out, before running on impressively in the closing stages.

He's been raised 2lbs for that run and steps up in grade to be competitive here, however looks to be in good form and if raising his game to this level, may just have the potential to run a solid race at an each way price.