IT feels as if Aidan O’Brien is winning every juvenile race going in Ireland lately, and his numbers are strong; after six juvenile winners at Leopardstown last Saturday, his total two-year-old winners in Ireland this year is 61, not far behind his best of 65 last year and 64 in 2024.
Most of those six winners came out on top through toughness and stamina as conditions were difficult, the ground easy and strong winds at play, though perhaps the best Ballydoyle prospect on the card was one that was beaten.
Piazza San Marco was a well-backed favourite for the Eyrefield but could only finish fourth, but the pace here was strong, and he spent most of the race pressing the two front-runners out wide. The two pacesetters finished up last and second last, whereas Piazza San Marco lasted much longer, weakening only late which was forgivable given his trip.
Most of the Ballydoyle winners on the card won in similar fashion, going forward and grinding things out, though Daytona might have been left with a bit to do in the Killavullan over a trip that is his absolute minimum.
There were promising performances in defeat from other yards, too. Amelia Earhart won the opener by seven lengths but the third Knowinmeknowinyou got a good education and should step up on this. Held up towards the back of the field, she travelled kindly before having to be switched a furlong out, finishing off well.
Eniac had run well in a barrier trial back in August at this track but didn’t build on it on debut proper at Naas when ridden forward. He ran much better here when third to Ex Animo, dropped out and travelling smoothly before finishing off well without getting a hard time. He is back on the right track now.
Aidan Melia, training just his third winner, was on the only trainer to best O’Brien on the card with Unauthorized in the seven-furlong maiden for colts and geldings but the best prospect in that race looked the runner-up, Karrygrant trained by Johnny Murtagh.
Having been outpaced early in the straight, he came home strongly without being knocked about, and another go at a maiden next spring could be good for his long-term development.
IF conditions were slow for the juveniles at Leopardstown on Saturday, they were extreme by Sunday as the ground became very testing after overnight rain.
A similar surface had produced a wide margin listed race winner in Carla Ridge at Curragh a few weekends back, and Shaool did the same in winning the Trigo by six lengths.
There is a temptation to downgrade the performance because of conditions and furthermore the Johnny Murtagh-trained filly had a lot in her favour; she thrives on the ground, her stable is going well and most of her higher rated rivals had holes.
She also got a dream run up the inner, something that rarely happens at Leopardstown, but the speed with which she took that gap was striking and she was the only runner on the card to dip below 14 seconds in the final furlong despite racing on what might have been the worst of the ground down the inner, the later races suggesting an outer route was preferable.
Striking performance
The market move for her was as strong as any in a blacktype race all season and this was a visually striking performance so put me down as a believer rather than a doubter. She can be a big player in early season stakes races in 2026 and there is no reason why her trainer can’t improver her further.
Unusual surface
This sort of surface is unusual, and it helped get Norwalk Havoc back to form to win the Knockaire for the second year in a row. His style of victory was very similar to 2024, and it would be no surprise to see him back again next year.
As the card went on, a wide trip became vital to winning and in the October Handicap the first five home were the five widest horses from a long way out. They came clear as a group and seemed to quicken markedly late, visually at least.
With that in mind, Genealogy ran nothing like as bad as his eighth-place finish looks. He was having just his second run of year and his first in 155 days, making the running at a decent gallop too. He stuck on well late given all that was against him, and he would be an interesting older handicapper next season if Aidan O’Brien keeps him in training.
There were a couple that went around the inner in the final race too, a seven-furlong handicap, and Prince Of Love is the interesting one. He raced hard against the inner here, doing well in the circumstances, and is the sort of unexposed type that can pick up a low-grade handicap or two.
THIS year’s Munster National had a different profile to last year; whereas the 2024 race was slowly run with relatively few unexposed types, in 2025 we got a strongly-run race with more progressive runners, suggesting the form could be more solid.
The outcome was the same, however, as an Eric McNamara-trained stable switcher that had dropped in the weights came home in front, in this case leading home a similar type in second.
French Dynamite and Weveallbeencaught were the horses in question, and this was an impressive training feat. There was no big queue of potential buyers for either, both costing €40,000/£40,000, and McNamara got French Dynamite to do something he hadn’t really done before, stay three miles well.
The winner travelled well and this sharp three miles, even with a strong pace, suited whereas the runner-up looks a strong stayer and a race like the Troytown would be ideal. Paddy O’Brien gave the winner a fine ride too, waiting until late to ask for his effort when several of his rivals made premature moves.
Time comparisons with the later chases over shorter trips show how the race was well-run. The handicap chase won by Crowsatedappletart was seven seconds faster than the beginners chase won by July Flower but the horses in the Munster National were in turn 3.6 seconds faster than the other handicappers from the first fence to the line, despite racing over five furlongs further.
Doing too much
Pride Of Place cut out the running and was doing too much in front. He shaped better than this ninth place finish and a shorter trip could suit while Yeah Man, who went to the lead three furlongs out and pressed on, traded at even money in running before fading into sixth. His weak finish was a little concerning, however, given he is proven over marathon trips though perhaps the lack of a run caught him out.
The third home Aspurofthemoment was better than the form for a few reasons. He got keen early in the race and made jumping mistakes, notably around halfway and at the second last, while also making his move a touch earlier than ideal while the fourth Talk In The Park shaped well too.
He was hampered by a faller at the first which seemed to hurt his jumping early and he finished up well back in the field. He then made his ground up quicker than ideal leaving the back straight and looked a likely winner jumping two out before flattening out.
It is possible that he failed to get home, but it seems just as likely that the big move into contention was costly, and his previous runs suggest this trip should be fine.