Caponata ‘a big mare with a big future’
Hugely impressive on her debut in a Gowran Park early in May, the Selkirk filly stepped into stakes company in style, travelling strongly throughout, edging ahead with more than two furlongs to race and staying to beat Shebella convincingly by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
This was the performance of an exciting and progressive filly, open to plenty of further improvement and Weld enthused: “She progressed nicely from her win in Gowran and I’ve had this race in mind for her for a long time. I was very supportive of the move to make this a black-type event as this is an ideal time for an Oaks trial.”
He added: “She’s in the Irish Oaks and I’ll speak to Lord Grimthorpe (owner Khalid Abdullah’s Racing Manager) about where she’ll go next. But she’s a big mare, with a big future particularly next season. I’m conscious of the fact that Pat (Smullen) feels that a mile and a quarter might be as far she wants to go for the moment and ground conditions are a big factor for her — she loves a nice ease.”
Ger Lyons and Gary Carroll shared a fine double, thanks to the victories of Lightnin Hopkins in the opening two-year-old maiden and Boom To Bust, in the familiar Anamoine colours, in the one-mile Xeretec Supporting North Kildare Chamber Handicap.
Runner-up on his debut at Fairyhouse, Lightnin Hopkins, a son of Kodiac, made virtually all to land the opener in a blanket-finish, with odds-on favourite Nurpur running into all sorts of traffic problems before finishing a close fifth of the six runners.
“He’s a typical one of ours,” stated the winning trainer. “He should progress again from today’s run and is a listed type. The plan was to get a lead, but he broke well and Gary adopted Plan B and let him bowl along.”
Carroll utilised similar tactics on Boom To Bust, backed from 7/1 to 9/2, which made all to beat Cnocan Diva by a length and a half. Lyons’ brother and assistant Shane commented: “We’re delighted to get a winner for Mrs Patino — she always gets a big kick out of a winner, big or small. This fellow has been working well. It was just a case of whether he’d reproduce it on the track. Gary gave him agood ride, dictating the pace although he’d prefer better ground.”
Alkazim, eighth to Power in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and officially rated 102, belatedly got off the mark, at the tenth attempt, when justifying 2/5 favouritism in the six-furlong Follow Naas Racecourse On Facebook Maiden.
Ridden by Wayne Lordan, the Holy Roman Emperor colt travelled strongly throughout and coasted home three and a half lengths clear of Regal Power, prompting winning trainer David Wachman to comment: “That was fine. He has plenty of gears, so six or seven furlongs, or a mile, is no problem for him. He wouldn’t want the ground any slower than that. He’ll head back into group company now.”
* Fergal Lytnch picked up a two-day ban for careless riding following his ride on July Revolution, which finished third to Bendzolden in the Play The Tote Placepot Handicap.
