Wachman looks to Ridge to fill 40-year gap

RACING WEEKEND PREVIEWS:THE IRISH-TRAINED hopes Maarek and Cougar Ridge could secure unique achievements for themselves in Britain today.

No Irish-based horse has emerged victorious in the 40-year history of Newbury’s Group Two Mill Reef Stakes but David Wachman is hoping Cougar Ridge can break that statistic.

A total of eight horses line up in the six-furlong event including the Richmond Stakes winner Heavy Metal and Moohaajim who finished an unlucky fifth on his previous start in the Prix Morny.

Less than an hour later Maarek will hope to pull off a similar achievement in the historic Ayr Gold Cup where the dual Group Three-winning sprinter has to carry topweight of 10st against 26 opponents.

They are headed by last year’s winner Our Jonathon and the Steward Cup victor Hawkeyethenoo.

Another Irish trainer aiming for valuable cross-channel booty this afternoon is Co Galway-based Muredach Kelly who sends My Girl Anna for the Group Three sprint at Newbury.

The four-time-winning mare provided Kelly with a career highlight when beating Coolmore’s Fire Lily in the Flying Five at the Curragh a month ago.

There will be other Irish interest at Ayr when Peter McCreery’s Ffos Llas winner Scatty Cat goes in a juvenile Group Three while Andrew Slattery’s An Saighduir takes his chance in the Ayr Silver Cup.

The weather hasn’t been kind to the 2012 Listowel Festival which winds up today with a rearranged six-race card that could see Ruby Walsh enjoy a beano on his comeback week. The former champion jockey returned to action last Sunday after six weeks out with a broken ankle and teams up today with the horse on which he sustained the injury at Galway.

Drive Time has topweight in the handicap hurdle and was beaten at 1 to 2 on his last start on the flat but can still make his presence felt while Reine Angevine will be hard to beat in the maiden hurdle. Walsh may also land both divisions of the Beginners Chase with Twinlight and the Grade One winner Benefficient while Missunited can win the battle of the mares against Tarla in the amateur event.

Horse Racing Ireland have installed an additional flat-racing fixture for Dundalk’s all-weather circuit this Thursday. The first race will go off at 2.05pm.