ARCH WHISPERER CAN STAR IN OPENING ROUND OF THE DAVY O'BRIEN MEMORIAL

Barry Drake

The opening round of the € 2,000-to-the-winner Davy O'Brien Memorial A2/A3 stake gets underway at Curraheen Park tonight, and it promises to be a great event over the next couple of weeks.

Arch Whisperer, for the Home By Ten Syndicate, stands out in the third heat. The June '24 whelp has a couple of big runs in the book, and this rates a nice drop in class. He can be hit or miss at the traps, however; if she produces one of his better starts in this, he should prove far too strong.

Another Gangster, drawn along the rails for the Cardboard Gangster Syndicate, is another with leading claims. The November puppy impressed on his second career outing last time, winning in 28.93. The best is yet to come, and he is sure to be in the mix in this.

Ugo, for John O'Connor, is the pick in the opening. He is no stranger to big performances around course and distance and sets a fair standard in this. The selection has nice early speed, and he's selected to bounce out in front and make every yard of the running. 

Sleedagh Charm, trained by Dean Harpur for owner Kevin O'Gorman, lands a narrow vote in the second heat. Keeping good company in recent times, this is a drop in class, and if she puts her best foot forward, she will be hard to beat. The strong running tracker will be doing her best running in the second half of the race.

Burgess Bonnie, trained by Paraic Campion for owner JJ Fennelly, has nice early pace when she hits it, and she's drawn for a big run along the inside of the track. A recent winner around Kilkenny, she's a big player in that running.

Carefree Captain, for Berndette Connolly, is the pick in the closing heat. He's had some tough assignments in recent weeks, and he should find this a bit easier. The selection has plenty of speed and power, and if within a couple of lengths at halfway, he will be hard to hold in the closing stages. 

Millies Story, for Christine McAuliffe, is not without a chance. Her strike rate is a concern, but she's caught the eye in better company of late. A flying start will be needed, but she's capable, and a big performance is on the cards.

In the opener, Keplar Sexton, trained by James Kelleher for the Dog House Investors Syndicate, can make all the running. The September puppy impressed in the semi-final of this A3/A4 stake, and another all-the-way winning performance is on the cards. The selection has stunning early speed, and he will be hard to beat.

Elsewhere on the card, the closing race is a wide-open event, but Desert Flower could well come from off the pace and record back-to-back wins for local trainer Kieran Lynch.