Plenty of drama as Olympiad lands gamble
Ridden by Pat Smullen, Olympaid edged left in the closing stages as Johnny Murtagh delivered his challenge on his outside. The runner-up, making his debut, showed his inexperience by ducking left soon after the furlong-pole before rallying, with Olympaid continuing to edge left.
Opinions differed on the likely outcome of the enquiry, with the layers expecting a change. But the Stewards allowed the result to stand, but advised Pat Smullen to ride with more care in future.
Winning trainer Weld, who had stated that he would be “surprised” if the result was changed, declared: “That was as good a four-year-old maiden as will be run in Ireland this year. They are two very god horses and both ran a bit green - the runner-up seemed to duck towards the horse-gate.”
Weld indicated that he hand no immediate plan for Olympiad, which is owned by Robert Ogden, suggesting that he will “take things slowly” with the Galileo colt. Meanwhile, the John Oxx-trained runner-up, reportedly coltish in the parade-ring beforehand and green at the business end of the race, will be a short price wherever he reappears.
The Ken Condon-trained Macbeth, in the frame in two back-end maidens at Navan last year, looked a promising staying prospect when making all to foil Aidan O’Brien’s Chicago in the Irish Stallion Farms Maiden over a mile and a half.
Ridden by Billy Lee, the Acclamation colt stayed on dourly up the straight to triumph by four and a half lengths. Condon couldn’t hide his enthusiasm: “I’m delighted with that performance. We’ve always felt he was a staying type and the plan was to make the running.
“He’s not flashy in the mornings and was quite green out there but he should keep improving through the year. I’m hoping he might be a Queen’s Vase horse. Before that, we’ll look for a winners of one, or he could run in the Gallinule at the Curragh. He should be okay on better ground.”
Successful with Ahaaly at Dundalk on Wednesday night, Kervin Perndergast struck again for Hamdan Al Maktoum when the one-raced filly Soohaad justified 7/4 favouritism in the opening Irish Stallion Farms Maiden over seven furlongs.
The American-bred daughter of Hard Spun, a half-sister to a bunch of winners Prendergast has trained for her owner (Haatef, Shimah, Ulfah and Walayef) took time to hit top gear in the testing conditions, only getting on top inside the final furlong to beat Caonach by a length.
Winning rider Declan McDonogh commented: “She’s a nice, well-bred filly, but has been a slow learner and doesn’t show much at home. She took half a furlong, early in the straight, to get organised. But I always thought she’d win. Seven furlongs is a minimum for her. She definitely wants further and, with a bit of luck, might be a stakes filly.”
