Fran Berry best bets for Thurday's meeting at Leopardstown

2pts win Angel Palm in 1.00 Leopardstown at 7/4

1pt e.w Shoshone Warrior in 3.30 Leopardstown at 10/1

ANGEL PALM should be hard to beat in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown.

She faces a couple of promising rivals in Harannda and Friendly but the selection made a very good impression on debut here despite only finishing fourth behind Oodnadatta.

The winner made all, dictating a slow gallop, and in behind Ger Lyons’ charge got unbalanced on the home turn and stuck on in good style without being unduly knocked about.

The form is very strong too with runner-up Minaun going on to win the Group Three Marble Hill Stakes and sixth-home Shale winning twice since, including her own Group Three triumph in the Silver Flash Stakes.

Given normal improvement she’ll be hard to beat here and is seemingly held in high regard by her powerful team.

The Irish Derby form goes on trial in the Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes with third home Dawn Patrol running. He got away with a drop back to ten furlongs to win his maiden at Naas last time and will be much more at home over a mile and six here.

However stable companion SHOSHONE WARRIOR rates the value at around 10/1. The son of Galileo shaped with promise on his two starts as a juvenile and duly opened his account on his reappearance over a mile-and-a-half here last month.

That might not have been the strongest of maidens but I liked the way he did it, he was still green in front but in the last 100 yards really extended to put a couple of lengths between himself and the runner-up.

He’s the sort to find major improvement going up in trip here and while he might be asked to go forward to help his stablemate, that isn’t necessarily a negative. He raced behind the bridle last time and doesn’t seem the sort to overdo it in front.

• Preview posted at 0925 BST on 13/08/20

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