Punchestown on Dirar radar
The seven-year-old was ending a losing streak going back to the Ebor on the Flat at York in August 2010.
Trainer Gordon Elliott was keen to give him a confidence-boosting success at Downpatrick, which came just nine days after he finished a respectable seventh to Alderwood in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham.
“He’s fine, not a bother on him. There aren’t many opportunities for him, which is why we had to run him again on Sunday,” said the County Meath handler.
“It was nice for the owners and the win would have given him confidence.
“You probably won’t see him now until Punchestown.
“I’m not sure what race he’ll go for yet.”
* Pepper Lane, last year’s William Hill Great St Wilfrid winner, has black type as he main aim this season.
North Yorkshire trainer David O’Meara worked wonders with the mare last summer, winning her first race of 74 and ending the campaign with a rating of 102.
The Listed Kilvington Stakes at Nottingham on May 12 is her likely starting point, before possibly going further afield in search of adding to her value before retirement beckons.
“There’s the Kilvington Stakes at Nottingham, a Listed race, that’s where Pepper Lane might start off,” said O’Meara.
“When Pepper Lane arrived her rating was 56 and she‘s now 102.
“She’s only a pony – she’s tiny – but she’s done really well.
“The big thing with her is to try and get some black type this season, obviously she‘s a filly and will retire to stud at some point.
“She may go over to Ireland or something.”
* Luca Cumani admits he is in the dark regarding the claims of Presvis in Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free at Meydan.
Winner of the race 12 months ago, Presvis has been well beaten in his two races in Dubai this season, but the Italian feels the eight-year-old, who likes to sit behind off a fast pace and cut through rivals late on, has had valid excuses.
Cumani said: “His prep races have not been ideal and have not told us a lot as there has been no pace.
“We will see how he runs before deciding whether he again goes to Hong Kong and Singapore, but if the race is not run to suit then we will be none the wiser.
“He has had a break and then came back out here for the Carnival – there is no point running him in England.
“There are five days until the race and I just hope nothing intervenes to change how things are.”
Ryan Moore has partnered Presvis to all but one of his eight career wins which have yielded more than £4.3million in prize-money.
Cumani added: “Ryan will ride again on Saturday. They get on well and like each other very much.”
* Gamilati faces a spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery at the Dubai Equine Hospital to remove a chip from her near-fore ankle.
Godolphin’s filly has been as low as 12-1 with some bookmakers for the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May after winning both her starts at Meydan this year.
“Gamilati had a very good winter in Dubai, winning the UAE 1,000 Guineas impressively, but unfortunately she has required surgery to remove a chip from her near-fore ankle,” the owner’s racing manager Simon Crisford told www.godolphin.com.
“She will have a little bit of time out of training and when she starts back in a few weeks we will reassess what her programme will be for the summer.”
* British raiders in the Dubai Duty Free have not had the luck of the draw in the Group One over nine furlongs at Meydan on Saturday.
Last year’s winner, the Luca Cumani-trained Presvis has been put in stall 12 of the 16-strong field while Michael Bell’s Wigmore Hall, third 12 months ago, will go from 15.
The Richard Hannon-trained Dubawi Gold has been drawn widest of all in stall 16 and others appearing to hold a disadvantage are Roger Charlton’s Cityscape (11) and two of Godolphin’s representatives – City Style (13) and Rio De La Plata (14).
Godolphin’s other runner Delegator, the mount of Frankie Dettori, is in stall six while Aidan O’Brien’s Await The Dawn is drawn close to the inside in stall two.
Stablemate St Nicholas Abbey has been handed a wide draw in stall nine of the 10 runners in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
The Breeders’ Cup Turf winner is one of two O’Brien runners along with Treasure Beach, who races from stall six.
Godolphin’s three runners have had varied luck with the draw – Songcraft being handed stall one, Cavalryman five and Shimraan 10.
