It’s Now Or Never For Fallon At Leopardstown

The scene at Leopardstown on Sunday is going to be very different to that at Aintree where Classic Flat trials take over from the most famous jump race in the world.

Grounds For Concern
As is so often the case at this time of year, the ground is going to be a factor in the Classic trials and with just five and seven runners lining up in the Derby trial and 2,000 Guineas trial, it is the 1,000 Guineas trial that we turn to for some value.

Alice Spring is the obvious favourite. Ryan Moore flies in for the day again and he’ll partner the daughter of Galileo for Aidan O’Brien as he did when she won the valuable sales race at Newmarket last season.

She may well win again on this occasion but Michael O’Callaghan’s Now Or Never is the selection.

Aptly Named
O’Callaghan is undoubtedly one of the rising stars of Irish racing and his move to secure the services of Kieren Fallon for the season may have been seen as risky by some but it could well prove to be better business than Arsene Wenger has ever done in the transfer window.

Maybe for Fallon Now Or Never is aptly named as his chances at the top level are becoming slimmer but with O’Callaghan he could well have found the opportunity to get back on some very nice types. Now Or Never holds entries for the English and Irish 1,000 Guineas and she warranted those entries last season when running well against the colts to finish second behind Jim Bolger’s Herald The Dawn in the Futurity Stakes.

Her last run in the Moyglare needs to be ignored but she was held up that day more so than in her other runs and maybe those change of tactics and quicker ground as well as the race coming at the end of the season may have all combined for that below par effort.

Now Or Never doesn’t need heavy ground but the hope is she’ll handle it better than the favourite and hopefully she can be a decent priced winner of the Group 3 1,000 Guineas Trial.

Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Handicap (4.25)
Papa’s Way will be having his fifth run since the beginning of March when lining up in the Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Handicap over a mile and a half and he has proven a liking for these conditions by being placed in three and winning once over hurdles. The handicapper has left him alone for his two placed efforts most recently…

but he still seems to be a shade high to win and therefore Dermot Weld’s good form is expected to continue with Alveena.

The four-year-old filly doesn’t have the benefit of race fitness on her side but Weld has sent out five winners in the last week and has made another promising start to the season.