Lord Massusus swoops late to land Leopardstown spoils
FUN IN THE SUN: Happy racegoers for Student Day with Molly Dempsey, Ellen Travers, Allanah Forde, Elbha Sherlock, and Faye Newman. Picture: Healy Racing
Third in this race last year and a Group 3 over the course and distance in 2023, the Joe Murphy-trained Lord Massusus swooped late to deny course specialist and odds-on favourite Mutasarref in the listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes on Student Day at Leopardstown.
The five-year-old, ridden by Gary Carroll, got up late to foil the favourite by a neck, with Thalara, tight for room inside the final furlong, in third.
“He got bogged down in the very soft ground in the Curragh the last day,” said Joe Murphy Jr, assistant to his trainer/father. “But he was good today. He settled better. He’s at his best when he looks in trouble two furlongs out, because he comes home well.
“He’s a solid listed/Group 3 horse and there are plenty of opportunities for him here and at the Curragh. He might end up back here in September for the Boomerang. We tried him at Group 1 level last year, but he’s a bit short of that.”
From the last crop of the great Galileo, Stay Alert made a successful debut for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore in the Student Style Awards Maiden, forging clear in the final furlong to beat favourite Game Point by two and a quarter lengths.
The Irish Derby entry, behind the bridle leaving the back straight, warmed to his task in the straight and, responding to a couple of smacks from Moore, lengthened well in the closing stages.
“Ryan says he’s a lovely horse,” said O’Brien. “He was very babyish but hit the line well and should improve a lot. We’ll see how he comes out of the race and see about a Derby trial for him — all options are open.”
Earlier, the Paddy Twomey-trained debutante Catalina Delcarpio (Billy Lee) created a big impression in landing the 10-furlong fillies' maiden, quickening clear to slam front-runner Tswalu by four and a half lengths.
“She a nice filly, has always trained well and I was looking forward to coming here with her,” stated Twomey. ”She was just ready to start but hadn’t done anything strenuous at home.
“She’s in the Irish Oaks, which looks a logical target, and we can work back from there. We’ll find a trial for her. We discussed entering her for Epsom, which will come a bit soon, but we could consider supplementing her.”
But the most impressive maiden winner on the day was Johnny Murtagh’s once-raced Alakazi who powered clear to slam 84-rated No Such Thing by seven and a half lengths in the one-mile median auction event.
Having tracked the leading duo, Ben Coen unleashed the Footstepsinthesand colt off the home-turn and, soon in command, he stretched clear in great style.
“We have a few nice three-year-old colts and this fella has been going very well all spring,” declared a delighted Murtagh. “He had one run last year, in heavy ground, and I went home disappointed. But this is what he wants — a mile is good for him for the moment and nice ground.
“He took everything well today and is a very nice horse. We’ll step him into a stakes race next, maybe something like the Tetrarch (at the Curragh on May 5).”
Ger Lyons and Colin Keane combined to win the ‘Domin Oh Hoo Hoo’ Handicap with the strapping Camelot gelding Himalayan Heights, winner of a Tipperary maiden last May.
The 7-1 shot picked up well when seeing daylight to beat Ard Na Mara convincingly, prompting Lyons to comment: “He was doing everything wrong last year. We gelded him and he has matured a lot, settled well today and is able to quicken. He’s a gorgeous big horse, equally effective at 10 or 12 furlongs, and, hopefully, there’s a good pot in him.”
And Tony Mullins might target the progressive Enchanted Garden at a premier handicap at the Curragh on Guineas weekend next month following the 7-2 favourite’s defeat of Desert Haven in the FM 104 ‘Giddy Up’ Handicap.
Enchanted Garden was the first leg of a 37-1 double for jockey Joey Sheridan, completed on Harbanaker in the finale, a first winner for trainer Bill Harvey.
