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- Shahzeena to add to Weld tally
Shahzeena to add to Weld tally
Shahzeena (Pat Smullen) winning at Cork back in April
© Photo Healy Racing
Dermot Weld's lightly-raced Shahzeena makes plenty of appeal in the Bet Online At thetote.com Handicap for three-year-olds over an extended mile at Galway on Wednesday.
The Rock Of Gibraltar filly won her maiden on heavy ground over a similar trip at Cork in April, so should have no difficulty with Ballybrit's rain-softened turf.
She was then highly tried in a Group Three at the Curragh in which she weakened out of contention and was eased in the final furlong. A better run ensued in Gowran Park at the end of May, where she took runner-up spot to the unbeaten Roca Rojo in a fillies' race.
A mark of 92 might underestimate her abilities in her first handicap.
Weld has plenty of artillery to go to war with on this card. Incredibly, he is bidding to win the Tote Return All Profits To Irish Racing Maiden for the seventh year in a row.
His New Agenda will be a warm order after finishing third on debut at Navan behind Outspoken and Salthouse. The runner-up franked the form by winning next time out in Leopardstown while Botany Bay, who was fourth in Navan, came out and landed the Ulster Derby.
The Rosewell House trainer saddles Stuccodor in the Tote €100,000 Pick6 Guarantee Maiden Hurdle. However, this talented dual-purpose gelding will face a challenge from Tony Martin's Roscommon bumper winner Fill Your Hands and the Willie Mullins-trained Thomas Hobson The latter returned from a long lay-off when falling at Listowel in June.
The Download The Tote Mobile App European Breeders Fund Mares Handicap Hurdle is ferociously competitive with 20 horses declared. Top-weight Damefirth benefits from Dylan Robinson's 7lb claim on her attempt at a treble. Supreme Vic who gets on well with Adam O'Neill, is also gunning for a hat-trick.
Gordon Elliott fires three darts at the Tote €40,000 Jackpot Guarantee Handicap Hurdle over two and a half miles. Bank Bonus and Be Seeing You come here with wins under their belts from Perth and Bellewstown respectively, while Disputed is on a retrieval mission after being a beaten favourite at Sligo.
Weld and Finny Maguire team up with Time To Inspire in the Bet On All UK Racing With Tote (Q.R.) Maiden. The pair took this race last year with Whitey O' Gwaun so this one merits close scrutiny in the first-time blinkers, after placed efforts at the Curragh and Navan.
Tim Doyle 's Northern Surprise looks attractively weighted in the It Pays To Bet With Tote Handicap. He is only up 4lb for winning in Tipperary and will relish the forecasted slower ground.