GALWAY PREVIEW:MIRANDA'S GIRL looks to hold a good chance of landing the Day Two Galway festival feature, but even victory will still come laced with tragedy for jockey Rory Cleary and his father, Thomas, who trains the filly, writes BRIAN O'CONNOR
It is almost six years since Seán Cleary was killed here at Ballybrit in a fall that devastated his family, but also left a deep mark on the entire Irish racing community.
The resonance of that was all over the 2004 McDonogh Handicap when his younger brother, Rory, guided Palace Star to an emotional success. But there could be even more of a family influence on this year’s renewal, now titled the Tote Galway Mile.
The €140,000 feature has a field of 18, including two England-based runners, Royal Power and Wigwam Willie, who look like they would prefer faster ground than they are likely to get.
Instead, there could be an especially local flavour if Miranda’s Girl can win.
Thomas Cleary is based near Athlone and knows what is required to win around here, having managed to win twice at last year’s festival with Miranda’s Girl.
It is always a plus to have proven winning form around Galway, and the filly comes here in the form of her life having been upped a stone in the ratings for an impressive, six-length victory at Roscommon last time out.
That came on heavy ground, so the going shouldn’t be an issue for her, and she has a high draw, which is a help.
“I think she goes there with a serious chance as she is much stronger this year.” said Cleary Snr yesterday. “She handles the track alright and we’d be fairly confident.”
A filly that is rapidly improving can be dangerous to any opposition, and at decent odds Miranda’s Girl appeals as one to get the better of some more high-profile horses.
They include last year’s winner Celtic Dane, while the ground also won’t be a problem to Rock And Roll Kid, who represents another father-son combination in Tony and Danny Mullins.
A lot of the fancied horses, including Rock And Roll Kid, are drawn low, which is normally a disadvantage here, but that might not be as pronounced on soft ground.
Others to consider are Dedo and Maria’s Dream, while the combination of Michael Kinane and last year’s beaten favourite, Settigano, is eye-catching.
But even a new mark of 93 might not be enough to stop Miranda’s Girl.
Dermot Weld has used the juvenile fillies maiden in the past to unveil Group One talents such as Dance Design and Market Booster, and he has won the race 11 times since 1990.
This time the Ballybrit maestro is represented by Brushed Aside, and this one’s 15-strong opposition could well end up being the ones brushed aside.
Strictly speaking, the Juddmonte-owned filly has ground to make up on Devoted To You from Curragh running behind Rahya Cross earlier this month, but Brushed Aside should still come out on top against the Ballydoyle runner as well as Dazzling Day and Akdarena.
That Curragh start was the Weld filly’s debut, and she shaped with huge promise, coming from last at halfway to finish better than anything else in the race.
Weld has Qassaar in the concluding three-year-old maiden, and while normally a colt making his first start of the season in late-July would make him opposable, his trainer’s record around here makes it hard to produce a case for anything else.
Ground conditions shouldn’t be an issue either in the opening maiden hurdle for the Ruby Walsh-ridden For The Staff. Willie Mullins’s horse easily won a bumper at Roscommon on heavy ground on his last start, and has the experience of two races over hurdles last November on his side.
Walsh also teams up with Tony Martin in the following conditions chase, where Ross River should be a major player after an encouraging third at Killarney on his last start.
