A Listed race for a Group One classic is hardly a fair swap but Misty Heights can put the smile back on Dermot Weld's face by winning at Gowran tomorrow.
Weld and his stable rider Pat Smullen had been booked to spend Sunday in Paris with Relaxed Gesture fancied to go well in the Prix du Jockey Club. But yesterday that colt had to withdraw from a second Derby in a week.
"We were all set to go but he pulled out lame behind this morning," said a dejected Weld yesterday. "It is not a problem associated with what he had before that prevented us running in the Italian Derby last Sunday."
That leaves Five Dynasties as the sole Irish runner in the French Derby as Aidan O'Brien tries to score a first Irish success in the race since Caerleon in 1983.
It also leaves Weld and Smullen spending their Sunday in Gowran but the 70,000 Victor McCalmont Stakes is no mean prize and Misty Heights looks to have a clear chance of picking it up.
The consistent filly is probably just short of the highest class as an eighth placing to Attraction in the Irish 1,000 Guineas indicated. Nevertheless Misty Heights boasts a 105 handicap mark, which gives her at least half a stone in hand of the other rated contenders.
Abunawwas was a Stakes winner for Kevin Prendergast at Leopardstown on Wednesday and the trainer will be hoping that heralds a general return to top form amongst his string.
If it does it makes Park Drive an interesting runner in the Kilkenny Handicap. His only run of the season, on heavy going, at the Curragh in March can be ignored now that he is back on the track and surface on which he won his maiden last October.
Down at Tralee the ground conditions should also play into the hands of John Oxx's Akilak in the opening mile maiden. This colt was a runner-up to Anchor on his Curragh debut at two and, on the strength of that, started odds on for his only race since, where he only managed fifth on soft going. The ground will be anything but soft tomorrow.
Mr Jayjay carries a 5lb penalty in the second division of the mile handicap for winning at Ballinrobe on Tuesday but the weight concession to Curtistown might be beyond him. The selection's second to Civic Duty at Fairyhouse was a decent effort.
