Elegant Pose© Photo Healy Racing
Elegant Pose heads a seven-strong field for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes at Gowran Park on Tuesday evening.
The Ger Lyons-trained four-year-old is a previous winner at the Co Kilkenny circuit and has her sights lowered after finishing last of eight runners in the Group Two Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket.
She is unlikely to have it all her own way, however, as she must concede weight to a handful of talented rivals in this 55,000 euro Listed event.
Dermot Weld saddles the unbeaten dual winner Bella Estrella while Aidan O’Brien relies on the JP McManus-owned Clear Skies who is the highest-rated runner with a mark of 106.
Jim Bolger ’s Turret Rocks is only a pound behind and turns out less than a fortnight after finishing fourth in the Middleton Stakes at York.
I’m So Fancy (Jessica Harrington), Remarkable Lady (Harry Rogers) and Damselfly (Joseph O’Brien) are the other contenders. Mayaadeen will be well fancied to get off the mark at the second attempt in the opening seven-furlong maiden.
Odds-on backers had their fingers burnt when the Weld runner was touched off by a more experienced opponent at Tipperary a couple of weeks ago, but there is every chance he will reward those who keep the faith.
It could be a profitable night for the master of Rosewell House, with course and distance winner Sorelle Delle Rose likely to prove hard to beat in the fillies’ handicap despite the burden of top-weight.
The daughter of Dark Angel was only narrowly beaten when conceding 7lb to the very useful Golden Spell in a Navan handicap last month and a 3lb hike is negated by Oisin Orr’s 5lb claim.
