Pierre Bonnard flops but O’Brien still strikes in Ballysax at Leopardstown
Christmas Day and Wayne Lordan (pink) won a 13th P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes for Aidan O'Brien. Pic: Healy Racing Photo
Epsom Derby favourite Pierre Bonnard flopped. But Aidan O’Brien still won a thirteenth P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax at Leopardstown as Christmas Day led home a 1-2 for Ballydoyle.
Pierre Bonnard, the even-money favourite, could finish only seventh and “will leave the run well behind him”, according to O’Brien. He watched Wayne Lordan bring Christmas Day with a determined challenge to master front-running Endorsement by a half-length, with A Boy Named Susie a similar distance away in third.
“It was a bit of a stop-start race, by Wayne was very happy – he said he quickened up and will stay further,” said O’Brien. “The winner is a smart horse. He won a stakes race here and developed a temperature which meant he didn’t run again last year. We were worried that all of our horses would need the run badly, but had to get them out.”
And reflecting on Pierre Bonnard, he added, “Ryan would have preferred to have been handier. He’ll come back here for the Derrinstown. We felt he’d need two runs before the Derby and will assess him after the next day.”
True Love, winner of the Cheveley Park last season and one of two penalised fillies in the field, had earlier landed the Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes (Group 3) in smooth style to spark a 191/1 Ballydoyle treble.
Tackling seven furlongs for the first time and always handy, the 3/1 joint-favourite was brought wide by Ryan Moore turning for home and, racing along the stands rail, was always doing enough to beat longshot Magny Cours by a length and a quarter.
“She’s a big, pacey mare,” stated Aidan O’Brien, “Ryan rode her positively and said she went through the race well. She hit the line well and is a very classy filly. We still couldn’t be sure if she’ll stay a mile until she tries it. But she’s definitely a possible for the Newmarket Guineas, or France.”
The Ballydoyle treble was completed when Cape Cod (3/1) defied top-weight in the concluding Tony Harmon Services Handicap, making all and holding off favourite Madbadanddangerous by a half-length.
“He’s a tough, uncomplicated colt and he’ll get further,” said O’Brien.
The Fozzy Stack-trained Thesecretadversary, owned by Coolmore and Cayton Park Stud, landed the Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes (Group 3), a recognised Guineas trial.
Ridden by Seamus Heffernan, the flashy, chestnut son of St.Mark’s Basilica mastered Group 1 winner Power Blue at the furlong-pole before being driven clear and, eased close home, scored by two and a half lengths.
“He was unlucky in Canada (in the Grade 1 Summer Strakes in Woodbine) on his last run at two,” explained Stack. “He’s a little bit keen and, while I always thought he’d get a mile and a quarter, looking at that, I’ll probably keep him at a mile for now. I’m sure he’ll try a mile and a quarter at some stage. But he’s in every Guineas, except the Italian, so we’ll have decisions to make.”
Earlier, the Willie McCreery-trained Skydance, highly-tried at two (including a fifth in the Moyglare) opened her account in the Look De Vega At Ballylinch Stud Fillies Maiden, challenging down the centre of the track under Billy Lee and getting up on the line to foil favourite Thundering On.
Meanwhile, Eoin Staples bolstered his bid for the conditional jockeys title with a double, shared with trainer Paul Nolan, in Down Royal.
Rated 133, the frustrating Sandor Clegane (11/10 favourite) opened his chasing account, at the eleventh attempt, making virtually all before holding off Meet And Greet, in the Giddy Up And Switch To Fibrus Beginners Chase.
The Nolan-Staples double had been sparked when Only For Our Man justified 15/8 favouritism in the Fast As Fibrus Novice Handicap Hurdle.
And Darragh O’Keeffe registered his 90th winner of the domestic season when odds-on favourite Miss Doyenne, trained by Henry de Bromhead, ran out a smooth winner of the Carsena Bloodstock Mares Maiden Hurdle.
