Some quality racing to consider at Leopardstown this afternoon and our Irish expert Tony Keenan has a fancy in the seven-furlong Group 3.
Ballydoyle have had an excellent week, winning nine Group or Listed races since last Monday, and that good run seems likely to continue this afternoon at Leopardstown where they have leading chances in the feature races.
Delacroix is hard to oppose in the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes at 3.30 and should add another strong runner to their Epsom team, while Diego Velazquez boasts an excellent course record in the Porsche In Support Of Breast Cancer Ireland Amethyst Stakes at 2.55, though might be more vulnerable returning from a break.
Their runners in the Al Shira’aa Racing ‘Mutamakina’ Stakes (2.20) are weaker, however, and VERA’S SECRET looks overpriced for all that she has a bit to find on official ratings.
She is having her first start of the year but goes well fresh, looking set to win on racecourse debut as a three-year-old before greenness caught her out and then winning a Curragh handicap by six-and-a-half lengths on her first run last year.
She finished down the field on her next start in the Irish Cambridgeshire but went too hard in front then while racing in the wrong part of the track before easily winning a competitive handicap for fillies at this track during Irish Champions Festival, making all under conditions like this afternoon.
Her final start last season came when sent off a well-backed 11/4 shot for the Concorde Stakes but she again overdid it in the lead and set it up for the closers though it was still a decent effort against male rivals.
Getting left alone in the lead is important to her, and there seems a decent chance of that here looking at the typical run styles of her main rivals; Vespertilio tends to sit in when racing at longer trips, Fiery Lucy is a habitual hold-up filly while Chantez was dropped out last time when racing keen and now as the hood applied.
In the It’s Family Day At Leopardstown Fillies Maiden at 4.05, Etawa could be a vulnerable favourite after showing attitude on debut at this track on debut last month.
The Captain Dara Fitzpatrick Memorial Maiden at 1.45 is more competitive though Jr Mahon shaped quite well here on debut. The worry with him is the form of the Jessica Harrington yard – since the flat season in Ireland started in March, they have had just five winners from 103 runners.
Both handicaps on the card look difficult though Masoun in the 4.40 looked a horse with more to give for Johnny Murtagh before moving to Joseph O’Brien over the winter and is a relatively weak race here.
Published at 0914 BST on 11/05/25
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