Nap of the Day: Atsila to take Curragh class rise in her stride

It's the May Bank Holiday on Monday, and it typically brings a stellar day of racing action with seven meetings across Britain and Ireland in prospect. There are jumps cards from Down Royal and Warwick, but the Flat dominates with meetings from the Curragh, Kempton, Beverley, Bath and Windsor on a busy afternoon with 51 races from 13:00-17:55.

My Bank Holiday Monday Nap of the Day impressed with the manner of her debut success at Bellewstown four weeks ago, and it's no shock that trainer Donnacha O'Brien is raising her sights now.

After a weekend of Classic action at Newmarket and the Kentucky Derby from the US, it's a more sedate offering from the Curragh on Monday, but still sprinkled with some good races.

Amongst those is the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Auguste Rodin Irish European Breeders Fund Athasi Stakes over a mile, where the likes of Chantez for Ger Lyons and Bint Queen Kindly for Dermot Weld are amongst the likely types on paper.

The latter won a 7f maiden here in March and should come forward markedly for that, but so, too, should Bellewstown debut winner ATSILA for Donnacha O'Brien.

The daughter of Phoenix Of Spain didn't go unsupported in the market for that 1m good-ground race early last month, and she won in good style under Gavin Ryan.

She was anchored towards the rear in the opening half of the race but picked off rivals in good fashion from halfway to make gains.

She switched inside to the running rail off the home bend but had to come back out between rivals at the furlong pole to make her challenge, doing so in a professional manner that belied her lack of experience.

15:35 Curragh Odds

She went by the 85-rated Chester Nimitz from the Noel Meade team and Lyons' Jorge Alvares in straightforward fashion and won by over two lengths at the line.

It was a noteworthy opening effort, and her trainer wastes no time now in stepping up in grade.

She may ultimately want more than this bare mile in time, but, for now, she doesn't look short of the pace to challenge for the €40.5k top prize, and it seems certain she will improve plenty from that opening success at Bellewstown.

She makes sound appeal at forecast decent odds for this 12-runner Curragh contest.

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