Dragon’s return sets the pulse racing at Commonstown
He ran disappointingly in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and the decision was taken to bring him back to Ireland. Thankfully, that included sending him back to me and I’m really looking forward to working him and getting him back on the track.
He seems good and has settled in well. I don’t know if we can get him back to the type of form that saw him win a Group 2 and just get touched off in a Group 1 last year as a two-year-old but we will do everything that we can to try.
It really is an exciting development for us after what has been a hugely frustrating flat season with the weather and the ground.
Bible Belt was one of those we just couldn’t get to run in her conditions even though I was delighted with her last run in York. So she is going to go to America to run in the Rose Bowl Invitational on September 29 having secured an invitation for the Grade 1 contest. She will stay there then to run as a five-year-old, as she will always get her ground.
We just had to think a good bit outside the box and having not had the chance to run her on quick ground, she has more or less lost a season due to the weather. It’s a pity. You never like to lose good horses but that’s the way it goes. It’s the best thing for the horse.
Speaking of York, Steps To Freedom didn’t run badly in the Ebor, finishing a three-and-a-half length sixth to Willing Foe. Considering the rain that bucketed down on Saturday morning, it was a very good effort.
You’d have to say that Royal Blue Star probably ran well above herself when sixth to Gordon Lord Byron in the Listed race.
Ballybacka Lady gave another good performance when third in the Group 3 at the Curragh last Saturday but Dundalk on Sunday was disappointing. We were glad of the opportunity to race on that surface and had seven runners. The best we could do was Beyond Burlin’s fourth in the mile and a half maiden, however.
Go On Murt ran particularly poorly when last of 14, but we had him scoped subsequently and it emerged that he needed to get his palate done. He had that procedure yesterday and won’t be out long. You’d be pleased that something like that emerged as it’s always better to have a reason than to be mystified, particularly if that reason is something manageable.
I am optimistic about the chances of a couple of our runners over the weekend. We only have five, starting with a couple that are bound for Killarney today.
Citizenship runs in a Grade C handicap hurdle and on his best form has to have very good prospects. He has won over the track before so we know he likes it there.
In fact I have come to the conclusion that to perform at his best, he needs to run on a flat track. It doesn’t really matter if it’s right-handed or left-handed, but it must be flat. We’ll be taking that into account from now on.
Overcall has run twice over seven furlongs but will be stepping up to a mile in a small field. He will like the ground and that is certainly important. Going that bit further will help too because he was certainly staying on at the end the last day, when he was fifth in Cork at the beginning of August. So he should give a very good account of himself and hopefully be even more competitive.
It’s back to Dundalk tomorrow and hopefully we’ll have better luck than last week. Johnnys Legacy and Greenbelt Star are both certainly in with very good chances although they run in a very tight and competitive handicap.
Johnnys Legacy ran better than the bare form looked last week on very heavy ground at Wexford. He has run well on this surface consistently throughout the spring. Although he has top weight, Kevin Sexton will take seven pounds off, which is very important in a contest like this.
I have been trying to get a run into Greenbelt Star for too long but we are unlikely to get the ground now so this is the next option. His best form would give him a great chance but as I said, it is very tight, with nine pounds between the top and bottom weights. Off 9-7 though, Greenbelt Star might be the one but I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnnys went in either.
Green Chorus is another who has been crying out for good ground. We putting blinkers on her in the mile and a half handicap and hopefully they will get her to focus a bit more. She has done so in cheek pieces. The ground is the key though and she hasn’t had it at all. She has a good chance.
