La Collina defeat blows the whistle on Phoenix form
I thought she had no chance and a returned price of 33-1 just about summed up her prospects. If memory serves correctly La Collina was available at the off at something like 80-1 on Betfair.
Very few punters accepted that result at face value and she was a 3-1 shot against Maybe in last Sunday’s Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
The handicapper, who doesn’t get much wrong, had her one pound superior to Maybe, but, with one or two honourable exceptions, was literally on his own in his thinking.
And so it came to pass that 8-13 shot Maybe bounded home, with La Collina a disappointing third, beaten four and three quarter lengths.
For those of us who had the price of a really nice holiday, or two, riding on Power in the Phoenix Stakes, La Collina’s performance took a bit of swallowing.
But do you know what, I feel our biggest problem was over-rating Power. I think we simply got carried away with his game success in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Looking at the Phoenix Stakes in the cold light of day, there are solid reasons for concluding that just might have been an ordinary enough contest.
We know that La Collina has now let the form down and, perhaps, the proximity of Tough As Nails in third should have served as the first warning sign.
He didn’t seem to stay six furlongs in a Group 2 at the Curragh previously and here he was running a cracker, over the same trip, in a Group 1.
Then there was Reply in fifth and Frederick Engels in sixth. Reply has since performed poorly when only sixth of nine at York.
Frederick Engels, who appeared decidedly unlucky in the Phoenix Stakes, ran a stinker subsequently in France.
Getting back to Maybe for a second, she really does look the business and offers yet another massive insight into the way Aidan O’Brien trains top-class, or potentially top-class, horses.
She was good when winning the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, but that is a contest which hasn’t worked out at all.
Then she came home to scramble to a neck defeat of La Collina in a Group 3 at Leopardstown. At that stage there was no reason at all to be getting overly excited.
But her latest two outings have revealed the true Maybe. She ran away with the Group 2 Debutante Stakes at the Curragh and then last Sunday was even better again.
IS it my imagination or is Paul Carberry riding as well, if not better, than he has ever done? After he had won on Original Option over fences at Killarney last week, press room colleague, photographer Pat Healy, referred to him as "a genius.''
It's a description with which most National Hunt followers would readily agree. Carberry is not exactly in the first flush of youth, but is riding with huge enthusiasm and, of course, the class he brings to the table is permanent.
He really was superb aboard Original Option, a chancy jumper who was kidded and cajoled throughout the journey to eventually win with plenty in hand.
There are two other winning rides of late worth a reference, starting with Sam Bass at Galway on Saturday.
Making his jumping debut, Sam Bass never seemed particularly happy and didn't travel through the contest with any great fluency.
But Carberry gave him all the time that was required to get into a rhythm and, in the end, Sam Bass just about delivered.
Then there was Esporao at Downpatrick on Monday. A notoriously hard-puller, Carberry anchored him quite beautifully in front and the hitherto disappointing five-year-old scored with his head in his chest.
Oh, and getting back to young Mister Healy for a second. He didn't half grab our attention with some entertaining mutterings regarding the Kerry footballers, at Killarney last week.
Let's just say that if they don't stuff the Dubs later this month, he might well consider a decent break a fair way from the press rooms of Ireland for a while! On second thoughts, don't bother, we'll still be here when you get back.
IT will be interesting to see how the public reacts to the staging of today’s Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, as a semi-evening meeting.
Last year the first race was off at 1.40 and now it gets away two hours later, the idea being to boost the attendance figure.
It’s worth trying, of course, but the miserly line-up in the feature is no help. This might well develop into a lap of honour for So You Think and that won’t be good. Hopefully, Snow Fairy can make a real race of it.
