The Irish Derby flop Token Gesture makes her first appearance since then in this afternoon's Denny Cordell Lavarack Memorial Race at Gowran, but while the Dermot Weld trained filly should run much better this time, she could find the unexposed Darrouzett too much of a handful over the trip. Token Gesture could hardly run more disappointingly than she did in the Derby. Having been an expensive late supplementary entry, she raced prominently to the turn-in but when Desert King, Dr Johnson et al turned up the heat, Token Gesture faded dramatically to finish last.
It was all the more surprising considering the potential she had shown on this track previous to that. Then she had routed French Ballerina by an impressive couple of lengths and Weld could hardly be blamed for believing she would at least pick up enough Derby prize money to justify the late entry.
Thus Token Gesture has something to prove today, especially over a trip that seems short of her best. The one sure thing about her Derby bid was that she would stay. Her win here was over 12 furlongs as was her previous success at Leopardstown and in that light it's hard to imagine this nine and a half furlongs being ideal. What's ideal for Darrouzett is still open to question but it's worth betting that it should be more ideal for her than Token Gesture today.
The proverbial dogs in the street seemed to know about the Darshaan filly before her Curragh debut 11 days ago and sent off at 4 to 7 she didn't let then down, scooting in by an easy length and a half from Back Log and Shadow Smile. By the usual Curragh standards it was a poor maiden but Darrouzett could only win it as easily as she did and her acceleration was impressive.
With normal improvement from a first effort, that acceleration could be the key to beating Token Gesture in the closing stages.
John Oxx and John Murtagh could also be on the mark in the opener with Mazurka. This daughter of Polish Precedent hasn't run since early June when fourth to Clewbay Pearl and the subsequent Futurity winner Impressionist at Cork. Mazurka couldn't quicken with those in the closing stages but there was no disgrace in that and on breeding she should relish this mile journey.
Giving weight away to all bar Timeless Isle will be no easy task for Munasib in the Waterford Nursery but the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt has given signs of ability in his races up to now and should strip fitter now than he did at Galway last week. He looks worth taking a chance with.
The same comment could also apply to Deireadh An Sceal who broke a frustrating sequence of placed efforts at Galway and can now follow up for Des McDonagh and Derek McCullagh in the Begnalstown Maiden Hurdle.
Iada is taken to reverse Sligo form with Lady Of Grange on this ground in the Gowran Handicap Hurdle, while Noel Meade's Kilcalm King should have the winning of the bumper.
