Cabaret leads rivals a merry dance
Winner of a Curragh maiden last time, the Galileo filly broke smartly. Murtagh clearly wanted to dictate the pace, which he was allowed do as Kevin Manning settled Kitty Kiernan in second spot, with Kevin Prendergast’s pair further adrift.
Murtagh quickened the tempo on the home-turn and soon had his rivals in trouble as Cabaret stayed on strongly to slam Alshahbaa by four and a half lengths, a performance that delighted winning trainer Aidan O’Brien, who stated: “She’s a nice, progressive filly and is coming on with every run.”
O’Brien nominated the Debutante Stakes, back at Leopardstown on August 6, as a likely target for Cabaret, although also mentioning stable-companions Lillie Langtry and Famous (which missed last night’s race due a stone-bruise, causing Murtagh to switch to Cabaret) as other ‘possibles’ for that Group 2 event.
The highly-regarded Viscount Nelson was sent off a red-hot 1/4 favourite for the two-year-old maiden, with most observers expecting a clear-cut victory for the Giant’s Causeway colt after a pleasing debut run at the Curragh.
But those who bet the odds-on had plenty of anxious moments in the last two furlongs before Viscount Nelson, which made the running, had to battle hard to keep promising newcomer Crying Time by three-quarters of a length.
To the eye, it was an unimpressive display. But Aidan O’Brien was quick to reassure the gathered press corps. “He’s a lovely colt, but still very green and he’ll never win by far. His mam and dad were like that too. He’ll go for a listed or Group 3 next and he won’t mind dropping back in trip.”
Murtagh’s treble came in the first three races, initiated by nine-year-old Hard Rock City, which triumphed for the first time in almost two years in the Kilmacud Claiming Race. In a titanic, three-way tussle, the Michael Grassick trained veteran piped Deal Breaker by the narrowest possible margin, with Putapriceonthat a head away third.
Grassick commented: “It’s nice to see him back in the winner’s enclosure again. He’s been a great servant, although he hasn’t won since Galway two years ago. He’ll go back there now, for the same race, the seven-furlong handicap on the Sunday.”
“She’s a class act,” declared Dermot Weld after Profound Beauty completed back-to-back wins in the finale, the listed Challenge Stakes. “She’a a lovely, very relaxed, self-contained mare. A joy to train!
“With two pacemakers in the race, they went a serious gallop. But she has the class and Pat (Smullen) gave her a lovely patient ride.”
Weld is planning another crack at the Melbourne Cup, in November, with the Moygalre Stud Farm’s five-year-old. So immediate plans are uncertain, as Weld explained: “She might have an easy ten days now and she’ll probably run in either the Yorkshire Oaks or the Irish St. Leger, or both, before she heads back to Melbourne.”
The Arthur Guinness Galway Hurdle is the main target for the Joanna Morgan-trained Raise Your Heart after the six-year-old bolted up, by eight lengths, in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap.
Ridden by Conor O’Farrell, the 3/1 favourite burst through a wall of horses to lead a furlong and a half from home before sprinting clear for a highly impressive win and prompting the winning trainer to admit: “I thought he might need it, because he’s only back in six weeks. He’s a horse that never blows, but he’s having a good blow today.”
Morgan intends going for another apprentice handicap, at Leopardstown next Thursday, with Raise Your Heart before taking his chance in the ‘Hurdle’ at Galway. Davy Condon has already been booked to ride him.
Rose Hip, carrying a mandatory penalty incurred here last Thursday, followed-up in the ultra-competitive Stillorgan Handicap, pouncing at the furlong-pole to beat hat-trick-seeking Marias Dream. Trainer Joe Murphy said: “She’s improving all the time and is a very genuine and game filly. She’ll run in the Tote Mile at Galway, if she gets into it.”
Murphy’s mare was the second leg of a double for Chris Hayes, initiated when Clodova swooped late to beat 50/1 debutante Crystal Idea in the mile maiden.
Clodova is trained by Eddie Lynam, who commented: “We were unlucky not to have a winner and a half,” referring to Deal Breaker’s narrow defeat in the claimer, and added: “She’s a tough little filly and we’ll look for a ‘fillies only’ handicap for her somewhere.”
