Timeform Irish SmartPlays: Fromjacktoaking to land hat-trick

There's Group-race action at the Curragh this afternoon

The Timeform Irish team highlight three selections on a busy afternoon in Ireland that involves Group-race action at the Curragh and National Hunt action at Clonmel...

The opening maiden hurdle at Clonmel (13:55) is our first port of call today and Everything Zain is the one that takes our eye. A modest maiden on the Flat, Everything Zain actually finished runner-up on his last two starts in that sphere, prior to finishing in the same position on both hurdles starts. However, although that may raise questions about his battling qualities, Everything Zain has done very little wrong in defeat, sticking to his task well when behind Hurricane Ridge at Killarney last time. The better ground will not pose a problem and he is taken to get off the mark at the third attempt in this sphere.

The Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at 16:15 is the highlight of this afternoon's card at the Curragh and Battle of Marengo looks all set to give Aidan O'Brien his twelfth winner of the race since Johan Cruyff took this contest in 1996. As with most Ballydoyle inmates nowadays, Battle of Marengo looked in need of the experience when third in a Leopardstown maiden on debut, but he has progressed rapidly since then, bolting up in a maiden at Gowran prior to readily landing a listed event at Leopardstown earlier this month. The latter effort is all the more commendable considering his saddle slipped early on and the form has been franked with the runner-up that day, Trading Leather, landing a maiden by 7 lengths next time. Battle of Marengo remains open to further improvement and looks worth supporting at short-odds to confirm himself a contender for major honours next year.

We will stick to the Flat for our final selection and Fromjacktoaking looks to be of serious interest in the nursery at 17:20. It would be fair to say that Fromjacktoaking took a little longer than expected to get off the mark, but he now comes here in search of hat-trick, having landed a claimer at Down Royal earlier this month before following up in ready fashion in a 12-runner similar event at Fairyhouse on Monday. Both wins have come under today's jockey and, with the drop back in trip unlikely to pose a problem, Fromjacktoaking looks sure to go close.

Timeform SmartPlays:

Back Everything Zain in the 13:55 at Clonmel
Back Battle of Marengo in the 16:15 at the Curragh
Back Fromjacktoaking in the 17:20 at the Curragh

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