"Whisper A Prayer and Forza Toro stand out in Dundalk’s upcoming races, showcasing promising potential as they aim to secure maiden victories, while tackling competitive fields and challenging rivals on the road to success."
As the midweek races at Dundalk approach, attention will be focused on Whisper A Prayer, a talented three-year-old filly trained by Joseph O’Brien. Scheduled to compete in the Maiden event, Whisper A Prayer appears ready to secure her first victory after delivering several promising performances.
At the age of two, she exhibited signs of genuine potential. Following a strong debut, she achieved an impressive third place, finishing behind the gifted Ezeliya, who would later win the Epsom Oaks, and Wendla, who currently holds a rating of 103. This initial performance, along with others like Higher Leaves and Get In, suggested that she possessed the lineage to leave a mark in this arena.
Nonetheless, a disappointing follow-up performance lowered expectations, and she found it difficult to get into her stride during her first race of the season. However, Whisper A Prayer rebounded impressively, securing a solid third-place finish behind Counterculture, which laid the groundwork for a stronger campaign ahead. In her most recent outing at Galway, she demonstrated significantly better form than her final position indicates, finishing fourth behind Dollerina. This performance was somewhat underestimated, and after a 69-day break, she now appears poised for further improvement.
With the added furlong and a less competitive group, this race should be more conducive for her. As a filly that tends to run close to the pace, she is expected to take the lead from the outset. Given the less daunting challenge ahead, Whisper A Prayer should effectively fend off all contenders. The primary competition appears to come from My Little Lady, who has displayed solid form that may make her a strong rival in this setting, but Whisper A Prayer remains the one to beat.
In the Median Auction Maiden at the View Restaurant in Dundalk Stadium, Forza Toro is a contender to keep an eye on. The colt, trained by Johnny Feane, demonstrated significant potential in his debut, securing fourth place at Gowran Park in early September, finishing behind the highly-rated Monumental, who later achieved a second-place finish in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster.
Forza Toro showed enthusiasm at the start of the race, keeping his competitors at bay, but ultimately found it challenging to sustain his performance. Nonetheless, it was a robust debut, and considering his natural ability and the improvements he has made since then, Forza Toro is in a great position to achieve his first victory soon. With a favorable draw, he is likely to secure a strong early position, and if he continues to develop, he will be a tough contender to beat.
The debut of Flash The Cash at seven furlongs is fascinating, and although the newcomer Dahoma may pose a challenge in the odds, it seems that Forza Toro is the most promising candidate to achieve victory.
