Bellahill

(Stuart Crawford)

Kilbeggan, August 21st

The Crawford team have had to be patient with Bellahill, only getting to make his rules debut at the age of six, but he looks worth the wait on the evidence of his bumper second at Kilbeggan on Friday, if he improves as might be expected following a 509-day absence.

This Poet’s Word gelding was picked up for just €9,000 as a store out of Boardsmill Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale and finished third on his sole start between the flags (safely held in third behind subsequent Irish maiden hurdle winners, Newbrook Diamond and Court Compliance).

He didn’t appear to be totally unfancied on his belated return at Kilbeggan last week in a bumper that probably wasn’t overflowing with high quality, albeit the winner, Hill Silver, is well regarded and had finished a promising fourth at the Galway Festival when attracting support at big prices.

Given that the winner, sent off 6/5 favourite, had the advantage of two recent runs, it was a likeable showing from Bellahill to get within a neck of him after a layoff - pulling a whole 15 lengths clear of the third. Yes, he had the benefit of the inside, which can count for a lot at this track, but he battled well under Stephen Connor and only just failed.

He appeared to act well on the decent ground here, although it was getting a bit more chopped up as the last race on a card where it had rained. He should be well able to win a bumper in similar conditions before the deepest of winter comes. These connections are also well able to smartly place their runners in Britain and he could easily make hay over there too, in a bumper or hurdling.

Chapel Lane

(Willie McCreery)

Killarney, August 21st

It can often be difficult to peg back runners from the front end at Killarney and that proved the case in the mile handicap, where Only One Scobie made all at odds of 50/1 last week.

The one to take out of the race from behind was the staying-on second Chapel Lane, who had already fired a warning shot recently when catching the eye from behind at Leopardstown over an insufficient seven furlongs when third.

It was a case of too little too late on this occasion, but once this three-year-old found top gear, he rattled home really nicely to finish best of the rest. A 2lb nudge to 74 for this effort doesn’t look beyond his capabilities.

This Tamayuz gelding had hinted at winning potential at two and might only be coming into his own with more time for Willie McCreery, who has his string in excellent shape and notched another double at Naas last weekend.

In a race that works out more kindly for a horse of his running style, there should be a day in Chapel Lane. Hopefully, he should have more to offer going forward.

Lady Plimsoll

(Michael O’Callaghan)

Killarney, August 21st

One mare who deserves a change of luck is the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Lady Plimsoll. She has been a model of consistency, never out of the prize money in eight starts for the stable, including four seconds and two thirds, without quite getting her head in front.

She was effectively running into a brick wall when meeting handicap blot Vantage Code at the Galway Festival three starts ago, then was only worn down late on at Roscommon and met another all-the-way winner here at Killarney - one who very much got the run of the race on the lead.

For all that it was a fairly comprehensive margin back to Lady Plimsoll in second, the runner-up wasn’t done any favours by having to wait for a run slightly when challenging from behind at the business end. She ran on well with an honest attitude and perhaps the only real sting in the tail from this run was another 2lb rise in the weights without winning.

However, as a ground-versatile and consistent four-year-old - and one who seemingly tries hard - she should get her turn in due course. She has run well at Dundalk before and that is always an option for her later in the season too.

The Austrian

(Jessica Harrington)

Curragh, August 22nd

It’s well worth a second look at the run of The Austrian in the Curragh’s 10-furlong maiden last Saturday. On the face of it, a half-length defeat might look a decent effort, but the real takeaway from the performance was how he went from looking like going nowhere early to nearly getting the verdict late on.

The Anamoine Ltd home-bred, trained by Jessica Harrington, was a minor eye-catcher on debut at Gowran Park in June when blowing the start and still managing to run on into mid-field over the extended nine furlongs.

He was again not in a hurry in the opening exchanges here after breaking better than on debut and gave the main protagonists quite the advantage. He was always behind and still was only eighth approaching the final furlong marker.

However, he made rapid gains close home and thundered on to outrun his odds of 20/1. With another few strides, he’d have got the upper hand.

This New Bay gelding certainly has a chance on paper, being a half-brother to the same connections’ 100-rated/twice listed-placed Snowcapped and out of a half-sister to the mighty Snow Fairy.

He’s not the full package yet, but if he can get his act together earlier in the picture, he’ll have no trouble winning races.

Green Dreamer

(Joseph O’Brien)

Curragh, August 22nd

There was one real surprise around the run of Green Dreamer in the Group 2 Coolmore Stud City Of Troy Tom Cooper Irish EBF Futurity Stakes - his SP. Given he was a fairly impressive winner of a Leopardstown maiden on his previous start at the expense of subsequent Curragh scorer Shakespeare, he could have been entitled to go off a lot shorter than 25/1.

Perhaps Dylan Browne McMonagle’s preference for stablemate Nail House was a strong factor in that, with the champion jockey riding the crest of a five-timer wave on the day, but nonetheless, it was a smashing third start from the bigger-priced Joseph O’Brien challenger under Declan McDonogh.

For much of the contest, it was difficult to say that the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned colt was travelling well. He was on the backfoot early after others got away quicker. By far and away, though, the most encouraging part was his closing sectionals.

After being slower than his rivals in three of the first four furlongs individually, he was a fair deal faster than anything else in the line-up through each of the final three furlongs. His third-last furlong, clocking 11.07 seconds, was faster than any other furlong posted by any horse in this Group 2.

Parts of the dam’s side of his pedigree suggest he probably doesn’t want to go a whole lot further, but he looks tailormade for stepping up to a mile after finishing third here. He’s yet another bright young prospect for the Carriganóg team.