THE all-juvenile card at Leopardstown last Saturday was dominated by Aidan O’Brien and Wayne Lordan, the pair combining for six winners, following on from the trainer having five winners on the same card in 2025.
Those results reflected the second half of the season for Ballydoyle which has been powered by two-year-olds.
From the start of August through last Sunday, O’Brien has had 46 winners in Ireland and Britain, and 36 of them were two-year-olds (from a total of 155 runners for a win strike-rate of 23.2%, the place strike-rate being 44.5%).
The three-year-olds have lagged way behind with just seven winners from 85 runners, a win strike-rate of 8.2%, the place strike-rate 24.7%.
Wall Street looked the most exciting prospect on the card in winning the Eyrefield Stakes.
He was returning from a 72-day break but had won what proved a strong maiden at the same track back in August, beating a pair of 100-plus types in Jesus Green and Drumbeat with more in hand than the half-length margin.
He still looked green here but impressed with how he went through the race to beat the highest-rated runner in the field without being all out, the pair coming clear in a good time.
Drop back
Capability Brown was the other stakes winner for the yard in the Killavullan, proving himself Darkness Falls-lite as he was able to drop back from a strong-staying performance over nine furlongs to win over seven here.
Wayne Lordan controlled the race from the front and setting steady fractions as a couple in behind got in each other’s way, the winner showing a ‘quare’ head carriage but looking genuine. Speckles and Snowing did what was expected to win their maidens, running up to their respective marks of 97 and 98, while Accumulation produced a nice performance to win on debut, Lordan again controlling things on the pace but his mount well on top in any case.
The sixth from that race, Ciarrai Oir, shaped a fair bit better than the result. He was twice hampered by a wayward Critical Reason, first early in the straight and again a furlong from home but ran on well without getting a hard time. His connections had a similar type last season in Ciarrai Abu, who went with similar promise on debut at the Curragh before moving to England where he won a race at Glorious Goodwood and is now rated 92. There will surely have been some interest in this one too.
Louis De Foix was the sole winner on the day not trained at Ballydoyle, well-backed for connections that know how to bet and overcoming inexperience.
After a slow start, he had a wide trip and was a long way back at halfway but after showing greenness when asked for his effort in the straight, he responded well to pick up down the outer and pulled clear with another promising type. He has a bit to learn about racing still but that has been the way with several Paddy Twomey juveniles this year, and this was a promising start, backed up by the clock as he was faster than the 97-rated Speckles over the same trip in the opener.
SUNDAY at Leopardstown was all about the older horses, but the one that took the eye out was among the least experienced on the card, Come What May blowing away a reasonable field in the Listed Trigo Stakes.
Despite a dull second half of the season for the Ballydoyle three-year-olds, he was very strong in the market and readily delivered on the support, beating two horses that had good form and looked to run their races by a comfortable six lengths. Come What May has a different profile to his three-year-old stablemates that have been underwhelming lately, a few of them coming to the end of busy campaigns whereas he only made his debut on September 26th.
It is unusual for O’Brien to still be starting three-year-olds out at this stage of the year. Since 2008, he only had 39 such horses make their debut in September, October or November, and in truth none of them made up into anything of note but Come What May could be the exception and might have earned a reprieve from the horses-in-training sales next week because of this.
Paddy Twomey confirmed that King Cuan – another with an upcoming slot at Tattersalls – will miss that engagement after a fine win under a penalty in the Knockaire Stakes, the race unfolding in similar fashion to his recent Concorde win as the leaders overdid it in front.
Having previously looked a speed horse, he stayed the extended mile well here off a strong pace and will have a ton of options next year. The other story of the race was the gamble on Dublin’s Knight on stable debut for Joseph O’Brien. Off for 553 days before this, he brought strong form from America into the race but never got competitive, the ground perhaps too slow.
Truth Be Told was an impressive winner of the October Handicap, travelling like he was a grade above his rivals, Billy Lee only asking for effort inside the final furlong from where he quickened up well. Connections were patient with him this year, running just four times and missing three races due to unsuitable ground but the weather played ball here and he got back on the up after having little chance from a poor position in the Petingo last time.
The manner of the success suggests he should be competitive off his revised mark, while the form looks solid too, a consistent type in second and two unexposed three-year-olds filling the frame.
THE big jumps race of the last week, the Munster National, cut up with six ground-related non-runners on the day, connections preferring to wait for more rain with their better staying handicap chasers.
This was the smallest field the race has shown in 20 years, the 2006 race also having 11 runners.
Those involved in the finish were all proven good ground types, Anyway making the running and still in with a chance when suffering a fatal fall at the second last, leaving Kings Hill to come home alone though he was travelling best at the time.
This track seemed to suit Kings Hill much better than Listowel last time as he got into a much better jumping rhythm and all seven of his top two finishes have now come going right-handed. The runner-up Littlefoot looks a better chaser than hurdler and is building a solid record over fences, coming from a long way back and perhaps paying for a big move leaving the back.
Three miles might be the limit of his stamina while the third Iceberg Theory looked in need of further, especially under conditions like this.
Having come off the bridle before most, he rallied well from three out and looks one for marathon trips.