Bullock Harbour could take to chasing game
But with the ground drying out now we will hopefully get back to winning ways fairly quickly.
We will certainly get more horses out on the track, including some of the two-year-olds who are working away. To date, we’ve only had only two out of a total of 15 racing so I’m looking forward to getting them onto the track.
Looking back on some of our recent runners, Celtic Cailin ran a great race to be second in the 2m 2f maiden hurdle at Downpatrick yesterday week. The key to her is to get her to settle and relax and she appreciates good ground. She kept going all the way to the line but just couldn’t get there.
Royal Blue Star was second in a seven-furlong handicap at Gowran Park on Thursday in what was her first run on the grass of the season, having gone on the all-weather at the start of April. She was only caught in the last 20 yards. The ground would have been a little slow for her and she was carrying a lot of weight.
She’s not very big so, as a dual-winner from last year that was just touched off in Galway, she’s always going to be lumbered with a lot of weight. If the ground is good I’ll try and get a bit of black type for her.
Maid To Master ran a really good race in the three-year-old maiden at Naas the previous day to be third. She was building on a much improved showing at the Curragh the previous week and she should be better again the next day. She’s going in the right direction.
Down in Killarney, The Bull Hayes ran a good race when fourth in his first race over fences, and I was pleased with Masterofdeception, who finished fifth in Sunday’s bumper. Unfortunately, he came back lame. He got a bit of interference a furlong and a half down and I think he might have pulled a muscle then. So he’ll be on the easy list for a little while.
It’s clear from the Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial that Remember Alexander needs further than a mile. She came to win her race but when they quickened up, she was just staying going at the same pace. She’ll run in the mile-and-a-half Group 3 race in Cork next month. Princess Sinead wasn’t quite right after the race but she seems to be okay now.
Today I have Posh Frock and Green Chorus in a 1m 3f handicap at Wexford. It’s their first time in handicap company so it will all depend on whether I’m right or the handicapper’s right. It’s unfortunate I have to run them against each other but there’s nothing else coming up. They both want good-to-firm ground and this distance but we might be able to split them after this run. I would give each of them a good chance.
Tomorrow, Bullock Harbour and Clouded Thoughts run in the beginners’ chase.
Clouded Thoughts fell the last time so we’ll want to get a clear round into him. Bullock Harbour schools very well at home and though it’s a good beginners’ chase, if he reproduces his hurdle form, he’ll be there or thereabouts.
Just Moscow runs in the mares’ chase but that has turned out to be very hot. She will appreciate the improvement in ground at least but it’s a tough task.
What An Article is in the three-mile handicap chase, his first handicap over fences. If the ground stays good and quick, I’d expect him to give a good account of himself. He’s got blinkers on too, to focus the mind a bit.
Steps To Freedom will run primarily on the flat over the summer but there are lots of options for him, as there’s a Grade 3 hurdle he might run in at Tipperary later in the summer as well. That depends on the ground being good. He runs in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan tomorrow and on all known form he won’t beat Fame And Glory. But the ground will be good and dry hopefully and he’s in good form.
We are double-handed in the ten-furlong handicap with Hurricane Ridge and Lady Geronimo. They are more-or-less the same horse. They have both had a run, they both want a mile-and-two and they both want good ground. So I’d be hoping they run really good races.
I was pleased with their season-opening efforts. Hurricane Ridge got a bit bogged down in the mud while Lady Geronimo ran over a trip that was too short on the all-weather. They will be much happier over these conditions.
One Fine Day brings the curtain down on our weekend in the three-year-old maiden. It is her first run and, ironically, she’s probably one of the few ones I have over the weekend that would want a bit of a dig in the ground but we’ll let her take her chance anyway. She’s a nice filly and I think a mile would be about her distance.
