Galway provides an unusual mid-week treat in today's Ardiluan House Oyster Stakes, a listed race that has attracted the elusive balance of quality and competition. It has also attracted a colt that could in time prove himself much better than even this.
The failure of the much-fancied Cultural Role in Sunday's Moyglare emphasised again the hit and miss nature of Dermot Weld's fortunes this season but even in these virus-hit circumstances, it will come as a big disappointment to the Curragh trainer if Stage Affair doesn't start to build on his potential today.
That potential first came to life when Stage Affair won on his debut here last season and Weld immediately nominated him as his Derby horse for 1997. Those hopes hit the dust when the strapping bay became possibly the worst hit in the yard by the treacherous virus and Stage Affair became something of a forgotten horse by the time of his second run at the Curragh last month.
Then, despite clearly needing the run, Stage Affair fought back after looking beaten a furlong back to beat Kharibar by half a length with Cardigan Bay third and Spirit Of Tara only fourth. That bare form hasn't had a chance to be advertised since but the post race reaction to that success was enlightening.
With Stage Affair blowing hard to prove he will improve for that, Michael Kinane informed Weld that the race had ridden like a Group contest and the trainer immediately nominated the Irish St Leger as the Michael Smurfit-owned colt's principal target. The only provision was if Stage Affair impressed in the Ruby Stakes.
The obvious worry about Stage Affair doing that is the unpredictability of some of Weld's string due to illness. The track is the only sure indicator if the horses are ailing but having been hit so hard early in the year, it will be surprising if the colt has been hit hard again.
Spirit Of Tara re-opposes and should do better this time but bigger dangers to Stage Affair look to lurk elsewhere. On its bare form with Dr Johnson, Aliya has her chance as has stable-mate Vivo while French Ballerina, if returning to her best, will make them all go. However, a healthy Stage Af- fair, should go quicker than them all.
Normally it would go against the grain to confidently plump for a horse with 10st 1lb in a nursery but Risk Material looks to be a juvenile out of the ordinary.
The Aidan O'Brien colt followed up a top-weight nursery win at Gowran with another at Tralee when he galloped his opposition into oblivion to the tune of two easy lengths. A distance of ground over a stiff track look to suit Risk Material ideally and despite picking up a 6lb penalty for that Tralee success, Risk Material should be in his element today.
O'Brien could also pick up the Long Walk Maiden with the Second Set filly Dove Orchid who looks to have another newcomer, the Weld-trained Hibernian Rhapsody, a Darshaan half brother to Dance Design, to beat. Dons Delight is hard to oppose in the bumper judged on his third to Kohoutek and Munif in a maiden hurdle here at the July festival and if the ground dries up a little, Try For Ever will be hard for Mister Chippy to beat in the CT Electric Handicap Hurdle.
