Toscanini enjoys confidence booster as Godolphin double up
Fifth in Royal Ascot’s Jersey Stakes last time, Toscanini justified 4/11 favouritism in the six-furlong Boston Access Supporting Console Race while debutante Queen Of Sicily created a good impression when landing the two-year-old fillies maiden.
Only three contested the six-furlong conditions event and, after Dandyleekie set the fractions, Toscanini cruised through to lead before being challenged by Letters Of Note and driven out by Shane Foley to score by a neck.
A relieved Halford joked: “He’s determined for the last bit of hair I have left to fall out,” before asserting, “He came out of Ascot well and it’s good to get him in front again – it will do his confidence good. Shane said that he felt as if he was doing a half-speed behind Ger’s horse, doing a swinging canter. But he idled, as usual, when he got to the front. He’s at his best when they go hard up front and he has something to aim at. He has plenty of pace and travels really well. It’s just a cause of keeping him covered up for as long as possible. I’m not sure where he’ll go next – we’ll have to talk about plans.”
Jim Bolger has introduced a few very nice two-year-old fillies in recent weeks and Queen Of Sicily, a gorgeous Cape Cross filly, is another, on the evidence of her convincing defeat of Twin Falls in the six-furlong fillies maiden.
Always prominent, she quickened clear before the furlong-pole before appearing to idle and had two and three-quarter lengths to spare at the line, prompting Bolger to comment: “She’s a good type of filly. She was a little fresh beforehand but won well. I don’t think trip matters to her and she has only worked on nice ground.” When quizzed about whether Queen Of Sicily will step into stakes company, he responded: “It would be nice to give her a little education first, but that won’t be easy.”
No luck for Godolphin and Bolger with Dawn Approach’s full-brother Herald The Dawn, which separated the Ger Lyons-trained 10/1 shot Reckless Endeavour and odds-on favourite Lieutenant General in the opening two-year-old colts’ maiden.
Colin Keane bided his time on Vincent Gaul’s Kodiac colt as his two chief rivals forced the pace and produced Reckless Endeavour to lead early in the final furlong to score emphatically by a length and three-quarters.
“He’s a grand little horse and bumped into a proper stakes horse in Independence Day in the north the last day,” said Lyons. “Colin said they went flat out and that he won like a good horse.”
The Bolger/Manning combination was on the mark again when 5/2 favourite Algonquin, dropping back to a mile after a recent win over ten furlongs at the Curragh, got the better of Shannon Soul in the Michel Higgins & Co. Handicap.
“He’s a good sort that might go on improving,” said Bolger before confirming that the Archipenko gelding is likely to reappear under a mandatory penalty in Leopardstown tonight – “we’ll see how he is in the morning.”
Brightly Shining, up 6lb. for his recent second in the Ulster Derby, completed a treble for Bolger and Manning when staying on tenaciously under strong driving to foil Pullman Brown and Corker Hill in the concluding Rea Coonan Estate Agents Handicap.
Manning was hard at work on the Teofilo colt turning for home. But the 5/2 favourite kept responding and got home by a neck and a head in a three-way battle, prompting his trainer to comment: “He’ll make a lovely hurdler for somebody.”
Winner of the race back in 2011, the Andy Slattery-trained Ucanchoose, ridden by Gary Halpin, captured the Montane Developments Supporting Console Apprentice Handicap at the expense of favourite Fairy Foxglove and, once the ground is not too fast, is likely to bid for a quick follow-up in Navan tomorrow night.
Wayne Lordan commented, “She’s a small bit keen, so I had to get her switched off, but she picked up well when she got out,” after partnering Tommy Stack’s Current State to victory in the fillies maiden. “She’s very genuine and gives her best every day she runs.”
