Bolger happy to see 'Lightning strike twice'

Jim Bolger could have been forgiven for thinking he had seen his horse of a lifetime last year with Teofilo, who sadly never made to the track to confirm his brilliance as a three-year-old.

But, as the County Carlow handler was quick to point out, it seems lightning really can strike twice as he has a new superstar on his hands in New Approach, who galloped his rivals into the ground in the Bank Of Scotland (Ireland) National Stakes at the Curragh.

The three most precocious juveniles of the season so far, New Approach, Rio De La Plata and Myboycharlie, filled the first three spots in the Group One showpiece to give the form a rock-solid look.

The bookmakers struggled to split them beforehand but Rio De La Plata and Myboycharlie, at 5-2 each, could never quite get on terms with the 9-4 favourite, who galloped all the way to the line to score by a length and three-quarters and the same.

Now unbeaten in four starts, Bolger has previously likened his Galileo colt to the almost incomparable Secretariat and the layers reckon he will surely be the horse to beat in 2008.

New Approach is 4-1 market leader with sponsors Stan James for the 2000 Guineas and as low as 11-4 with totesport, but unlike Teofilo, he may not now head for the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

Bolger said: “They always told me lightning never strikes twice, but it does.

“Last year I knew if Teofilo was going to be champion two-year-old he would need to go to the Dewhurst.

“But whereas Newmarket was the place to be last year, this year it was the Curragh. All the stars were here, so we don’t need to go. However, we’ll see how he gets on over the next couple of weeks.”

Godolphin’s Rio De La Plata was billed as the team’s flag-bearer for next year’s Classics and still can be as he lost little in defeat, although Sheikh Mohammed will be delighted he also has a half-share in New Approach.

For a fleeting moment when Frankie Dettori switched the chestnut wide from mid-pack to set off in pursuit with a furlong to run he looked a real danger, but Manning had made the decisive move and was maintaining his lead at the line.

Godolphin spokesman Simon Crisford said: “He has run a great race and we are really delighted with him.

“I should think he will run again this season, probably in the Dewhurst.”