The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections for 6th April 2024

The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections from The Curragh

Nando Parrado At The Irish National Stud And Gardens Irish EBF Fillies Maiden 1.45
Usdi Atohi (nap)
An interesting opener at Headquarters, where there’s a few that cost a pretty penny. The preference is for Donnacha O’Brien’s Usdi Atohi, who is a sister to 5 furlong winner Asean, so likely to be pretty pacy over this minimum trip. Adrian Murray’s California Dreamer is well connected too, but might be scoring over further in time, so the biggest threat is sure to be from Joseph O’Brien’s Cradle Of Love, a Kodiak filly. Usdi Atohi to score for Donnacha O’Brien, who does so well with his juvenile string

Download The New Tote App Fillies & Mares Maiden 2.20
Uncanny
This Fillies maiden can go to the four year old Uncanny, who’s been kept in training to make her debut under rules at four. The three four-year-olds in the line-up have to give a stone away to their three-year-old rivals, which is a big ask in these conditions, but Uncanny’s breeding suggests she’ll see out this 7 furlong trip. Coming from Stall 12 isn’t the best draw, but this Churchill filly should go close

Tote.ie Alleged Stakes (Group 3) 2.55
White Birch (nb)
John Murphy should have the answer to this Group 3 with White Birch, who gets a nice draft into this race from the inside stall. Third in The Derby last year behind Auguste Rodin, this Ulysses colt has some big dates in the diary this term, and having won first time out last season, has to be the one to beat. No problem with ground this deep, and this looks a good starting point for a big campaign

Irish Stallion Farms EBF 3YO Spring Series Median Auction Fillies Maiden 4.35
Evening Blossom
With just the one run under her belt, a placed effort in a Fillies’ Maiden here in October, there’s every chance of improvement upped to this trip. This daughter of Australia showed enough on that debut run to think there’s more under the bonnet, and she’s in fine hands with Joseph O’Brien. Brother Donnacha sends out Lady Doris who is well bred, so rates the main threat, but Evening Blossom is taken to lose the Maiden tag

Tote Never Beaten By SP Handicap 5.05
Laugh A Minute
Ado McGuinness can take this 6 furlong dash with his veteran Laugh A Minute. He’s warmed up with two runs under his belt this year, one to blow out the cobwebs at Dundalk back in February, and a solid third here over the minimum trip last month should have teed him up nicely for a first win of this term. Top weight Big Gossey can never be underestimated but has to give 11lbs away to the selection, so Laugh A Minute can laugh all the way the bank when winning this

The Mandarin