Magny Cours bounces back in Cork feature
Magny Cours and Ben Coen win for owners Ecurie Ama Zing Team and trainer Danny McLoughlin. Pic: Healy Racing
Magny Cours bounced back to form to run out an impressive winner of the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Little Big Bear Stakes, the feature race on Sunday’s Cork card.
Runner-up in a French Group 3 on her final start as a two-year-old, the Daniel McLoughlin-trained Awtaad filly began her three-year-old campaign by again finishing second in a Group 3, this one at Leopardstown when finding only subsequent Newmarket 1000 Guineas heroine True Love too good in April.
Magny Cours was then pitched into Group 1 company in the Irish 1,000 Guineas where, on ground too quick for her, she beat only one rival home.
But back in calmer waters here, the 9-1 shot delivered in fine style in the hands of Ben Coen, beating Dancing Saxon by two and a half lengths with Spinning Around a head back in third.
“On her run in Leopardstown she showed what she's capable of, especially when she's able to get her toe in,” said McLoughlin.
“It’s brilliant when a plan works out. It's been a long wait for the weather. I was hoping that it would be worth it and it was, it was more than worth it. She put that to bed very professionally.”
A return to Group 1 company — and France — is now on the agenda for Magny Cours where she will likely face the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Bamako Beach, another horse successful at Cork on Sunday, in the Prix de la Foret on Arc weekend.
McLoughlin, who saddled his first Group 3 winner last month when Duckadilly won the Brownstown Stakes at Leopardstown, said: “She was second in France last year in the Prix Miesque. I heard Michael saying after the last race that he had his horse entered for the Prix de la Foret and she holds an entry as well.
“She'll have to take on the colts but it's seven furlongs. She's been to France and she enjoys the style of racing over there.
“The owner enjoys runners in France. It ticks a lot of boxes, with the ground and stuff.
“It could be worth taking a chance over there and it could be an exciting end to the year with a bit of luck.”
The Kildare trainer added: “Today is as relieved as I've been and it's as good a kick as I've got out of any winner to be honest. Obviously, I had a Group 3 winner earlier on in the year but that was massive today.”
Bamako Beach’s win came in the Glenvale Stud Race where the Sands Of Mali colt backed up last month’s Fairyhouse maiden success by justifying 11-8 favouritism under Seamie Heffernan.
“He’s a horse that we've obviously thought a lot of, given where we've run him,” said O'Callaghan, in reference to his decision to run Bamako Beach in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on just his third career start.
“He's a good horse. We have the Foret in our head for him and there is a Group 3 in a few weeks, called the Prix de Pin, in France. We may go for that or go straight to the Foret.”
Tipperary trainer Michael Byrne was a proud man after Likedbymike backed up her recent Naas success by justifying 11-4 favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Abergwaun Stakes.
“That's unbelievable. It means everything really,” said Byrne. “She won her maiden here so she obviously loves it here. She got great confidence from winning in Naas, it was a nice handy run.
“There’s a fillies’ listed race at the Curragh at the start of next month so that's probably where we'll go next.”
Fresh from winning the Irish Cambridgeshire with Loughrea at the Curragh on Saturday, Andy Slattery struck on the double, his first winner coming in the Book Tickets Online At www.corkracecourse.ie Apprentice Handicap where the Jimmy Dalton-ridden Sunrise Angel landed the spoils.
Slattery explained: “I thought this horse would have been rated a lot higher by now but he was disappointing and hanging in his races. But [vet] Ger Kelly spotted a thing with kissing spines after his last run and we had him treated for it. It seems to have made the difference. He never hung there today and did everything right. Hopefully there’s more to come.”
The well-backed Lauderdale King completed the Slattery double with a smooth success in the Follow Us On Instagram Handicap, the 2-1 favourite winning in the hands of Andy Slattery Jr.
Slattery Sr said of the winner: “We fancied today when we got a bit of rain. When we ran at Leopardstown the ground was a little quick for him. He’s a grand horse.”
Eighteenth Smiles got off the mark at the seventh time of asking when fending off Roy Bean by a short head in the opening race, the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained State Of Rest colt came here on the back of third-place finishes at Roscommon and Galway and overcame a sluggish start to score under a determined Declan McDonagh ride at odds of 14-1.
“He probably deserved that,” Kevin Blake, representing O’Brien, said. “He was a bit slow to get going, he didn’t help himself by missing the kick but Deccie was very strong on him. Hopefully he can progress now.”
The Cork Maiden produced a terrific finish and the Donnacha O’Brien-trained Feel Happy ensured his supporters felt just that when beating Grande Cuvee by a head with She’s Too Kool a half-length back in third.
