Echo bids for black type Willie McCreery is keeping his fingers crossed Sophies Echo will continue her progression when she steps up to Listed class for the Coolmore Hurricane Run Stakes at Tipperary tonight. The juvenile showed little when making her racecourse debut at Down Royal under two months ago but she has come on in leaps and bounds since, filling the runner-up spot at Leopardstown before getting her head in front at the Curragh. McCreery accepts his filly faces a far stiffer test on Friday, with Aidan O'Brien saddling three of the eight declared runners, but he hopes she will be up to the task. "She's done nothing wrong so far, the ground should suit her and we have a nice draw (stall two)," said the Curragh-based handler. "She's going up in class and it is a step up for her, but we'll see what happens. If you're not in, you can't win "Aidan's horses have been flying and they are always the ones you have to target and try to beat. "We're stepping back up to seven furlongs from six but I don't think that will be a problem. "It was a stiff six at the Curragh the last day and she was doing all her best work at the end. "I think she's going the right way and if we could pick up some black type that would be great for the owner." O'Brien saddles Battle Of Saratoga, East Meets West and Furner's Green. Dragon Pulse, Strait Of Zanzibar, Lady Pastrana and Somasach complete the field.
