Leopardstown preview Ger Lyons will be hoping for a flying start at Leopardstown on Thursday evening with live chances in the opening two juvenile races. The Dunsany handler is represented by Heavenly Rainbow in the opening Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race as the Havana Gold colt bids to make it two wins from two starts. He made a successful debut at Fairyhouse three weeks ago when overcoming greenness to get up late on and beat Lethal Turbo by a head. Jockey Colin Keane also showed his horsemanship that day as his saddle slipped right back around his mount’s belly. Heavenly Rainbow looks like he can only improve from that run and connections appear to have found a nice stepping stone for their charge. Joza re-opposes now having finished third to him at the Meath track late last month. That rival ran on strongly then in the closing stages after missing the break and looks an obvious danger. He went on to gain a hard-fought success at Limerick since although that came just five days ago. Lyons will be hoping that California Daddy can make it third-time lucky in the following Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden having been runner-up on both starts to date. His main threat is likely to come from one of the two newcomers, Aidan O’Brien’s Galileo colt Sovereign or Dermot Weld’s Masaff. Weld then has a rare runner in the Michael Tabor silks in the Leopardstown Golf Centre Maiden. Bright Eyed is another Galileo colt with an American pedigree which catches the eye, but stablemate Hasimiyya has already had a run when fifth of 16 at the Curragh. Not many runners from Ballydoyle line up with a penalty, but that is the case with Christopher Robin in the Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Handicap. Well beaten at Chester in May, he won by a nose at Limerick only five days ago and has an extra 6lb to carry here. On the back of a break, Charles O’Brien’s Nimitz might be of some interest. Johnny Murtagh has his string in great heart and his Circling Moon is chasing a hat-trick following wins at Gowran and here last week. To offset the 6lb penalty, Murtagh has booked 7lb claimer Sean Davis.
