Leopardstown Sunday Preview - 09/05/21

The first selection of the day from us in the seven furlong maiden and Eaglefield for the inform Jim Bolger could be tough to beat.

The son of Gleneagles has been seen once during his career, finishing second behind Texas Moon at Gowran Park at the start of May.

The €85,000 purchase as a yearling should only improve for that first run and with Jim Bolger running at a 21% strike rate for the last two weeks, he is hard to look past.

The first big race of the day is the Group Three Amethyst Stakes over a mile and Ace Aussie for Jessica Harrington has the form in the book to go close.

The son of Australia was a bright juvenile finishing second over seven furlongs beating the likes of Wembley and Mac Swiney that went on to frank the form.

He also took that form to the next level when winning a Cork Maiden, seeing off Colour Sergeant who has also since gone on to win.

The colts final run of last season saw him outclassed when stepped up to a mile in the Group Two Beresford Stakes.

However, given plenty of time off he returned for his three year old seasonal debut in April and finished a superb second behind 2000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare.

Best form in the book and should improve for his first run.

Next up is another cracker with the Irish 1000 Guineas Trial over a mile and Shandra for Dermot Weld could be a big improver stepping up into Group Three company.

The three year old has only been seen once during her career and she was a very taking winner of a seven furlong maiden at The Curragh.

Waited on for this season she makes her seasonal debut in this event and having showed she goes well fresh, her pedigree suggests she could have a big future.

We are taking a punt with this selection, but at 6/1 she looks worth a go if fulfilling her potential

The feature race of the day is the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial over 1m2f and we are siding with Bolshoi Ballet with this Group Three being the plan for a while.

The three year old son of Galileo was seen three times as a juvenile, finishing third at Newmarket on debut over a mile in a Maiden and backing that up at Leopardstown over the same trip when getting off the mark for the first time in his career.

He was sent to Saint-Cloud for the Group One Criterium and could only finish a close up fifth behind some nice horses, wit the softer ground going against him.

The colt came back for his first race of the season over course and distance at Leopardstown and managed to land the Group Three Ballysax Stakes in good style.

It showed his versatility winning on good ground and having handled soft in the past and having that run could give him the fitness edge on Mac Swiney.

The penultimate selection of the afternoon is the 1m2f Fillies Maiden and at a big price the Jessica Harrington trained Bonte Moi could have a big chance.

The three year old filly has only been seen once during her career to date and it came when finishing eighth in a maiden at The Curragh in September 2020.

She will learn a lot for that experience and the form of the race does not look that bad with the winner Santa Barbara finishing fourth in the 1000 Guineas.

The Harrington yard think a lot of this horse and are expecting her to be a much better outfit now a year older.

The final selection of the afternoon in Ireland comes in the lucky last and the Aidan O'Brien trained The Mediterranean looks the most likely improver from all the runners.

The three year old has been seen once to date finishing seventh of 17 in a Maiden at The Curragh behind stablemates Arturo Toscanini and Sir Lamorak.

He is Ryan Moore's choice from the few on offer for Ballydoyle and he has a classy pedigree being a son of Galileo out of a Zafonic mare.