James Coogan is confident Marias Dream has every chance of making the frame in the Tote Galway Mile European Breeders Fund Handicap. After consecutive victories at the Curragh, the seven-year-old had to make do with the runner-up spot on her latest outing at Leopardstown.
Coogan feels she was unlucky not to complete a hat-trick that day and with conditions in her favour tomorrow, the Co Kildare handler is anticipating a bold show in the feature on day two of the week-long festival.
“She’s jumping out of her skin and has been working very well so I’m very happy with her. If she gets the run of the race she should be there or thereabouts,” said Coogan.
“She’s won on soft ground at the Curragh and she’s won over this distance round Galway before so the track and ground won’t inconvenience her.
“Gary Carroll rides her and he’s won on her twice before. He rode her the last day at Leopardstown when she was second and she was unlucky really as he dropped his stick a furlong and a half down.
“I think she’d have probably won, but hopefully that’s a blessing in disguise. Gary takes off a handy 5lb and it all helps.”
Thomas Cleary is upbeat about the chances of Miranda’s Girl, an impressive winner of her latest start at Roscommon and a two-time winner at last year’s festival.
“I think she goes there with a serious chance as she’s much stronger than she was last year and she won her last race very easily,” said Cleary. “That win brought her up in the handicap and meant she got into this race all right.
“She won here twice last year so she handles the track all right and we’d be fairly confident.
“We’ve got her entered in a couple of other races later in the week, but we’ll see how tomorrow goes first. She does take her races well.”