Herald The Dawn another star in the making for Bolger

Herald The Dawn, impressive when winning his maiden at Naas earlier this month, produced a sustained and very game effort to overcome soft ground and exciting filly Now Or Never in the Group 2 Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes yesterday afternoon at the Curragh.

The Jim Bolger-trained colt was settled in third place early as Now Or Never tried to steal it from the front. The latter travelled well at the head of affairs, and still held sway as the four-runner field turned for home.

For much of the straight she looked to be holding the challenge of HeraldThe Dawn, but the full brother to connections’ Newmarket 2000 Guineas winner Dawn Approach showed determination to match his class, as he got on top well inside the final furlong, before stretching more than a length clear. He’s now no bigger than 20-1 to emulate his sibling in theNewmarket Classic.

Said Bolger: “Kevin (Manning, jockey) said the wheels were spinning, but we got there. He’s basically a good-ground horse – he doesn’t like it when it moves - but he overcame the adversity.

“He can do six furlongs, seven furlongs or a mile – it’s all the same to him, so we’ll see where he fits in now, but he has options in Ireland, England and France.”

A tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe could be on the cards for the Aidan O’Brien-trained Found, following her impressive success in the ten-furlong Group 3 Kilfrush Stud Royal Whip Stakes.

Only three went to post, but there was plenty of market confidence behind Answered, who set out to make all the running.

Found, ridden by Seamie Heffernan, settled in second place and travelled strongly from the outset. The leader tried to quicken up off the home-turn, but was unable to shake off the attention of the odds-on favourite.

Heffernan left it very late to deliver his challenge but the response was immediate as Found quickened up sharply to win going away.

“You’d be delighted with that – it was her first time over further than a mile,” said O’Brien. “We always felt she was crying out to go further than a mile, but we wanted to keep her at a mile as long as we could.

“We were always thinking of the autumn. The plan was to keep her at a mile up to Ascot, then to give her a rest, and then maybe go Arc trials weekend or Champion Stakes, and then we could have a look at the Arc – we’ve had our eye on the Arc for a long time.”

Of the turn of pace which sealed victory, he added: “She has pace, and Seamus gave her a lovely ride. She quickens, and is a filly that would like you to wait with her - usually one that can quicken like that don’t want you to be there too long.”

O’Brien and Heffernan completed a group-race double when Order Of St George justified odds-on favouritism in the Group 3 Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger Trial.

The winner, who was the only three-year-old in the race, was brought to challenge Sea Moon in the straight, and quickened away inside the final furlong for a wide-margin success.

“He handles the ease in the ground well, stays well, and is maturing lovely,” said O’Brien. “He had a run recently, so he’s in good order, and Seamus was very happy with him. His run here in the Curragh Cup was very good, and the other horse (winner Bondi Beach) ran very well at York on ground he didn’t like.

“The difference between them is that the York horse wants good ground, but this horse handles an ease, but it’s possible they’ll both go to Doncaster (St Leger).”

On a card depleted by non-runners due to the change in the going, Cailin Mor ran out a comfortable winner of the Luke and Nellie Comer Apprentice Riders’ Handicap.

Sean Corby was in the plate on the Mick Halford-trained filly, and rode a patient race, before delivering his mount to challenge down the centre ofthe track, at the furlong pole. Without having to be ridden strenuously,the 16-1 chance beat Chillie Billie by half a length.

A positive ride from Declan McDonogh reaped reward for the Andrew Slattery-trained An Saighdiur in the Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital Handicap. In the firing line throughout, he saw off all challenges to record a ninth career victory, and first since April 2014.

The Johnny Levins-trained Aye Aye Skipper made it two wins in just four days when winning the Mongey Communications Handicap. Well backed when scoring at Killarney on Wednesday, he came through late this time to justify favouritism with a comfortable success under Gary Carroll.

The Pat Fahy-trained, Fran Berry-ridden Western Boy, pulled up over hurdles on his previous outing, returned to winning ways with a stylish victory the Killashee Handicap, while newcomer Plot Twist, trained by Andy Oliver, got up in the final stride to deny Unyielding in the closing ten-furlong maiden.