SOLE Power heads to Newmarket today for another crack at the July Cup, and what a horse he has been to connections!
He has won just over £2m over the course of what has been a stellar career and he has been campaigned at some of the best racecourses in the world.
But it is his race record that is extraordinary. I am open to correction on this, but according to my research, no Irish-trained horse has a record that comes even close to his since records have been kept for the last 30 years.
Since May 2010, 49 of his last 50 outings have been in stakes races – he was second in a conditions race in Dubai in 2012, but that contest is now a stakes race. He has run in 28 Group 1s in the last six years.
He must be a pleasure to be involved in and he has given his connections some great days and his trainer Eddie Lynam reports the nine-year-old to be in great form and is “training very well’’ ahead of today’s assignment.
Sole Power is the undoubted start of the show at Lynam’s yard who said: “I have more horses now than I’ve ever had. We have just over 60 here and around 50 of them are riding out. I’d say the majority of them have yet to run – we have some young backward horses. We have a nice team and some of them were off colour for a while in May, but we had a treble last Sunday and they seem to be back in good form again.’’
LADY MEGA
5yo b m (0/58-15341)
Kodiac - Naias
Theydontknow Syndicate
She has been good this year. She got a good hike for winning in Down Royal, so she has to go back into that higher grade, which stretches her a bit.
She will go to Dundalk on Tuesday and she is a good solid filly. She is very fast and very genuine and she loves fast ground.
MOVIESTA
6yo b g (3/003010-808)
Hard Spun - Miss Brickyard
H. Redknapp, W. Salthouse & Ritchie Fiddes
I have been a long time trying to get to the bottom of him. He won a group race for us last year and was placed in another one. He ran very free in the blinkers the other day at the Curragh – he had gone asleep on us, but he woke up too much. He will probably go to the Curragh either for the Sapphire or the Paddy Power. He has loads of ability and is training well. He needs fast ground, the quicker the better for him. The ability is still there and those sprinters can lose their form, but then they can come back, so hopefully when he gets his conditions he can win a good race for us somewhere.
SOLE POWER
9yo b g (/016544190-300)
Kyllachy - Demerger
Mrs S. Power
He is training well and is in good form. The form book and his date of birth on his passport would suggest that his best days are behind him. But he is in good shape and he’ll go to Newmarket for the July Cup (today). I’d imagine this will be his last year. I’d like him to retire on his own terms but I’d love to win another big one with him.
The best lad in the yard has to ride him out every day and he is full of beans. When he works he looks like he is working as well ever. He is just very happy in himself.
It has been a tricky year for him as we had to take him out of two races at Ascot and over the years we’ve upset people.
But that was for his own good and that is why he has stood the test of time. He’ll run on Saturday and he was only beaten two lengths in it last year.
He could back up quick in the Sapphire but we’ll have to see what the ground is like. I think the Curragh has had quick ground once this year. He is in the Nunthorpe and I’ll put him in the Flying Five at the Curragh on Champions Weekend.
UNREQUITED
5yo b g (/164380950-09)
Authorized - Superfonic
Edward Lynam
He does a lot of lead work at home and he’ll go to Killarney for a QR race down there and then he’ll go for another QR race at Galway.
TWO-YEAR-OLDS
MILO’S LASS
2yo b f (07)
Kyllachy - Riobamba
N. W. T. Dalzell
She ran okay the first day and she ran a little bit keenly the last day and didn’t get home She is on a bit of a break. The jury is out on her at the minute and I’d like to think that she is better than her form.
PIOUS ALEXANDER
2yo b f (3)
Acclamation - Lady Alexander
Noel O’Callaghan
I like her and she is one of the few two-year-olds that we’ve ran that is any way precocious. She ran well at the Curragh and could run at Tipperary in the listed race on Saturday (today). We think she is smart and I ran her over six but I wouldn’t be afraid to run her over five. The ground was on the slow side at the Curragh and once it’s not too fast or very soft, it should be fine for her. She has an entry in the Lowther and her second run will tell us more.
THREE-YEAR-OLDS
FROSTY DREAM
3yo b f (0626)
Dream Ahead - Miranda Frost
Mrs C. Burns
I was a little bit disappointed with her at Naas on Sunday – maybe I ran her back too soon. I think she is better than that and that there is a little race in her. We will have another go at a maiden.
MATRIARCH
3yo b f (0-98664)
Strategic Prince - Pinewoods Lily
Noel O’Callaghan
She is better in the mornings than she is in the evenings. She is rated in the 50s but she should get through one.
MIDNIGHT CROSSING
3yo b f (926-241)
Dark Angel - Line Ahead
Clipper Logistics Group Ltd
She is a filly that we’ve always liked. She ran a couple of good races in defeat then she ran a shocker after that at Leopardstown. We could find no reason for it and maybe the yard was just out of form. We put the blinkers on when she won well the last day and she might go to Killarney next week for the fillies’ listed race down there. We’ll go hunting a bit of blacktype with her now. A mile is her trip.
MISS ELIZABETH
3yo b f (11379-648)
Intense Focus - Passaggio
Ms Aileen Lynam
She has had a few problems with a knee and she hasn’t run up to her best for a while. She is a two-time winner and is group-placed so hopefully we might get one more go with her.
MISS MARIINSKY
3yo gr f (00-89)
Arcano - Park Approach
Rolline O’Callaghan
She is a lowly-rated handicapper that is honest and tries hard. She will run shortly in the low grade handicaps. She would like nice ground and is best probably over a mile.
MUSICAL JEWEL
3yo b f (89)
Invincible Spirit - Chirkova
Clipper Logistics Group Ltd
She is an honest filly that wants a mile and a quarter and a little ease in the ground. She is not devoid of ability and I think there is a race in her and she runs at Leopardstown on Thursday (ninth).
OTTILIE
3yo b f (021)
High Chaparral - Teddy Bears Picnic
Lady O’Reilly
She won nicely at Naas and she is a filly that we like. It took her her first run to get her act together and she ran well after that at the Curragh. She got a mark of 87 for winning, which looks high – it is the equivalent of a colt getting 92. We’ll take it one step at a time with her and we’ll run her in a handicap and see if he’s right. You would hope that she is open to more improvement, but whether she is better than an 87 is open to question.
I just wonder how many of these maiden winners deliver and win handicaps? This filly or The Tulip could go to the Curragh on Oaks weekend for a fillies’ handicap.
THE TULIP
3yo b f (312)
Lawman - Lady Slippers
Mrs Sonia Rogers
She is a nice filly. She won her maiden at Dundalk and she ran well in defeat against the older fillies on her first run in a handicap at Leopardstown.
Billy (Lee) felt that she ran very well for such an inexperienced filly and he could have done with having a lead for a bit longer. She will have an entry in a fillies’ handicap at the Curragh on Oaks weekend.
WHISKEY SOUR
3yo b c (4144-31
Jeremy - Swizzle Stick
Luke McMahon
I was pleasantly surprised with him at Naas.
I thought he’d run well, but I was delighted with him. Being a Galway winner, he’ll go back there where he’ll have a choice of engagements. He handles summer soft, but I wouldn’t think he’ll want deep ground. He is a good moving horse and he’ll go on good ground as well.
We’ll put him in the big premier handicap on the Tuesday, but it just depends on what turns up and then you have to get lucky with the draw down there as well.
The more realistic option might be the three-year-olds only. The fact that he is a course winner is a plus.
FOUR-YEAR-OLDS
AGNES STEWART
4yo gr f (1212/5)
Lawman - Anice Stellato
Clipper Logistics Group Ltd
She was a very good two-year-old. She had problems at three and she wasn’t able to run. She ran okay at the Curragh – she ran like one that had been off for 600 days. We weren’t too disappointed with her and she seems fine since. Ten to 12 furlongs looks her trip and I can see her improving for that run. She is in the Meld Stakes and the Munster Oaks so she has a few options. I’d say a strongly run 10 furlongs is her trip and she can go on any ground.
BYZANTIUM
4yo ch f (31/3526-07)
Dutch Art - Spring Green
Kilboy Estates
Unfortunately she got a nail through her foot last year over in England and she has had issues with her feet. Thankfully now she seems as good as ever and she will go back to Naas for the Sweet Mimosa and she’d like a little ease in the ground. She was stakes placed and we are hoping to make her a stakes winner this year.
CAPTAIN POWER
4yo b g (4211217-0)
Captain Rio - Invincible Power
Mrs S. Power Partnership
He is in the Paddy Power at The Curragh. It will be a big ask for him, but he’ll take his chance. He has no secrets from the handicapper. I am not saying he won’t win off 85, but he’ll take his chance.
FALCAO
4yo b g (42-03153)
Majestic Missile - Cafe Lassere
Kilboy Estate
He has gone up a stone in the rankings this year for one win. He has got poundage a couple of time for being placed. Like Captain Power he has no secrets from the handicapper but he’ll run in the six-furlong handicap at Fairyhouse on Sunday and he is a good honest handicapper who I hope can win again.
FORT DEL ORO
4yo b f (21321-172)
Lope De Vega - Gilded
Ballylinch Stud
She didn’t run her race Guineas weekend. We might go to Curragh with her. She is a two times stakes winner and I hope to win a Group 3 with her. Her win at Naas was impressive and I think she might be better than her last run. Her last run will be in the Champions Sprint at Ascot. She goes well with an ease, but I don’t think she wants it very soft ground – on the slow side of good will be fine for her.
FUTURE ICON
4yo b f (8-69911)
Acclamation - Midnight Fantasy
Ms Aileen Lynam
The blanket has definitely worked with her. She is behaving herself in the gates and she is getting away on terms. She has won her last two and she has gone up to 65 now. We might have to run her in a 70 race now but hopefully there is another one in her.
MISTER MARTINI
4yo b g (97)
Lope De Vega - Slip Dance
Ms Aileen Lynam
He has had soundness issues but he is not devoid of ability. He is a hard horse to keep sound and he might win a weak maiden.
UNRACED
COSTA
3yo b c
Gio Ponti - Sadler’s Charm
Kilboy Estate
He is working quite well and he’ll make his debut next week. I think he is up to winning his maiden.
DAPPER POWER
2yo b c
Dandy Man - Rumuz
Mrs S. Power
He is half-brother to the dam of Slade Power. He is a nice horse and he will be a bit later coming out, but we like him.
SLUMMING ANGEL
2yo b f
Exceed And Excel - Masai Queen
She does things okay at home and will be out if a few weeks. She is nice.
ROSA GLEB
2yo b f
Sepoy - Tatiana Romanova
She goes well and I like her.