Murray's Filly Could Surprise At Fairyhouse

Parish Boy was a non runner last weekend so we will never know how he would have gone. David Loughnane reckoned the ground was a bit too lively for him, and it will be interesting to see how he goes on a softer surface next time out. Tomorrow I like the look of a handicap debutant at Fairyhouse, and I think Likewise is weighted to go well off an opening mark of just 65.

Adrian Murray is a shrewd operator. 

Adrian Murray is a trainer that regular readers of this blog will be familiar with and he has done us more than a couple of favours in the last couple of years. Bilbo Bagins scored for us at a big price a couple of months back and I think Likewise could take a big step forward back down in trip after a decent effort over 10f at Cork last time.

This 3yo daughter of Bushranger has had just four starts under rules, and two of those came when she was trained by Adrian Keatley. She showed nothing on both 2yo starts for that trainer and she was sent off at 100/1 on her first run for Murray at Dundalk at the beginning of May (7f). She didn’t run like a 100/1 shot that day, and given that she was probably not 100% fit she produced a fine effort to finish 5th, just 4L behind a 79 rated horse trained by Ger Lyons.

Murray stepped her up in trip to 10f in another maiden at Cork a couple of weeks ago and she again showed that she had ability. She travelled well for a long way and looked booked for 3rd before fading in the closing stages. That run suggested that a drop in trip would be ideal, and her pedigree says the same. She is related to multiple winners at trips ranging from 5f to 6f, and her full brother was beaten just 4L in a 7f Listed heat in Italy.

Adrian Murray is a trainer best known for his exploits in the National Hunt sphere, but as he has demonstrated with She’s Ranger this season he can train them on the level too. Robson Aguiar was on board when that filly scored at a huge price at Dundalk, and he also rides Likewise tomorrow. The blinkers are on for the first time and on her run at Dundalk over tomorrow’s trip she looks handicapped to go well off her opening mark of 65. She can be backed at odds of 20/1 and at that price she is worth chancing each way in a handicap that lacks strength in depth.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: 19.15 FAIRYHOUSE-LIKEWISE E/W @ 20/1