Bendzoldan one to note at Naas
I was very pleased with her fifth place of 16 runners – just two lengths behind the winner – at Leopardstown three weeks ago.
She is in good form and remains consistent so I think she has a very good chance of going close.
Homeric Hymn runs in the fillies’ Listed Coolmore Stud Sprint Stakes. She was third in Naas first time out. It was a great effort as she was very green over the first couple of furlongs and ran on very strongly. She seems to have come on a good bit since then so I’m looking forward to a good run.
I’m finally getting Royal Blue Star out for the first time since last October in the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes, as she has been waiting for the ground. She is in foal and this will be like all her Derbys in one day if she could be placed. She runs well fresh so we’ll hope for a big run. It’s very competitive but we’ll see what happens. The firmer it is, the more she’ll like it.
More Of The Same will run in the 3-y-o and upwards maiden. She’s a nice filly of JP’s who didn’t run last year. It being her first run, I’m just hoping she’ll run a nice race.
Empress Of Tara will have her first run in a handicap, after winning her maiden in Dundalk last November. I’m looking forward to seeing how she handles it, but she’s in good form and we’ve been waiting for this ground.
The Curragh on Sunday wasn’t great. The two-year-old Billboard got knocked around a fair bit and coughed afterwards so that explained that. I was delighted with Bob Le Beau and that set him up nicely for a good run last night, finishing a two and a half length fourth in his first run over hurdles. I’d be hopeful he can win his maiden fairly soon.
Magical Steps was mad in season so that was the explanation for that disappointing effort. Like Billboard, she will have other days.
Burn And Turn was really good when second at Punchestown. She just jumped into the back of Moon Dice at a vital juncture and lost her place. So there was nothing we could do about that.
It was only Jetson’s fourth run over fences and, like Burn And Turn, he was taking on experienced handicappers. It was a baptism of fire for both but I’m not certain Jetson has the bottle for fences. We’ll try him out once more. Ironically, it was probably a bit too quick for him too. He’s not a big horse.
Takeyourcapoff ran a blinder when fourth of 19 in the handicap hurdle, beaten just over four lengths. She just got held up turning in and ran on great. We’re going to step her up to two and a half miles over hurdles on good summer ground.
I was delighted with Macnicholson and Knightsone, who were third and fourth in a very quick bumper. Macnicholson ran a great race but I was really pleased with Knightsone, who I thought was a nice horse when he ran in January but clearly didn’t cope with the ground at all.
Poor Keith, I told him to ride him to get home because I wanted to see what the horse was made of as we were at big decision time really. He said if he’d gotten going sooner he’d have won it. But I’m pleased that he might be as good as I thought he was initially.
He will run in another bumper and while Macnicholson could go the same route, he may also run in a mile and six contest as he has got a lot of pace.
Polished Rock was fourth and it was an excellent effort as he had been choking. I ran him in a tongue tie to see if that would work but it didn’t help so he had a wind operation and all being well, will be back on the track pretty soon.
