Folsom Blues

(Joseph O’Brien)

Curragh, May 23rd

Folsom Blues looks one to benefit from what appeared an educational debut run at the Curragh over six furlongs, never looking like matching useful winner Sergei Diaghilev but running on encouragingly in third. Dylan Browne McMonagle gave the Al Shira’aa Racing home-bred a chance to find his feet in the early stages, allowing him to amble from the stalls and handing an early advantage to the rivals who finished in front of him. However, it was noticeable from the Coursetrack sectionals that the Blue Point colt was quicker than any other runner in the line-up in both the third and fourth furlongs, and the top speed of 42.09mph that he clocked was the highest of anything in the race.

It was probably a factor of that easy start to the race that allowed him to finish out fairly well, coming home only 0.01 seconds slower than the winner through the final two furlongs and quicker than everything else to the line. He’s bound to have learned from this experience and has the pedigree to be smart for the Joseph O’Brien team.

His half-brother, Atlantic Coast, won at Group 3 and listed level for these connections, and his three-parts-brother Greek Mythology recently finished third in the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes at Naas. Folsom Blues looks nailed on to win a two-year-old maiden before long, even if the bare result of being beaten two and three-quarter lengths mightn’t have screamed it quite as much.

Perfect Your Craft

(Paddy Twomey)

Curragh, May 23rd

Paddy Twomey has made a point of noting that his runners are improving from their seasonal reappearances, and that must bode well for stable newcomer Perfect Your Craft, who only just failed in the €50,000 Keadeen Hotel Premier Handicap over 10 furlongs on Saturday. Racing off a mark of 91 (4lb higher than the rating from which she won a mile-and-a-half premier fillies’ handicap at Newmarket last autumn for Ralph Beckett), she was well positioned towards the front in a race where coming from off the pace was difficult.

She couldn’t quite get the better of a battle with the hardened, race-fit and improving Perry Mason, but she did stay rallying and only missed out by a nose; also pulling a length and a quarter in front of the eye-catching third Iron Fist

The handicapper has nudged Perfect Your Craft up another 5lb to 96, but she could have that type of improvement in her and the stable is well able to bring this type of filly up to blacktype level. She runs in the colours of the Cheeky Pups Syndicate after joining Twomey for 300,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, and there ought to be some good days ahead with this nicely-bred daughter of Mastercraftsman (out of a listed-placed Galileo mare). She could easily progress again for going back up in trip.

Golden Trigger

(Natalia Lupini)

Curragh, May 23rd

The Natalia Lupini team deserve great credit for how their runners fared at the Irish Guineas Festival, headlined by Zia Zabel narrowly missing out in the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes when rated just 88 (subsequently promoted 19lb to 107). Stablemate Summer Island was a good second to a wide-margin handicap winner on Sunday, and there also was a big showing in defeat from Golden Trigger when third in a well-contested three-year-old handicap over seven furlongs on day one.

This was the first time we’d seen the Ghaiyyath colt since winning a seven-furlong maiden at Dundalk in December, following a couple of solid placed showings at the same venue, and that would allow for some natural improvement from this run. He wasn’t far off collecting in any case, though. The 13/2 shot looked fresh on his comeback in the early stages and took a handy position, but perhaps he didn’t quite have the natural quickness of the winner, Invincible Will, over this trip when the tempo lifted.

After being passed, the half-brother to Johnny Murtagh’s capable Retracement didn’t lie down without a fight and kept on to only be beaten a short-head and half-length in third. He’s been pushed up another 2lb for the effort, but he could have that progression in him with this run under his girth.

Saxony Charms

(Andy Oliver)

Curragh, May 23rd

One of the most promising efforts from a beaten runner all weekend came in Saturday’s concluding 10-furlong maiden, won by the beautifully-bred Count Bezukhov. Third-placed Saxony Charms is definitely a name for the notebook from the Andy Oliver yard.

A €47,000 yearling from Book 2 of the Goffs Orby Sale in 2024, the Saxon Warrior filly ended up in mid-field, after a wide draw from stall 16 allowed to find her feet and build into the race. While the finish was being fought out by two colts with experience under more prominent tactics, Billy Lee caught the eye making progress aboard this three-year-old on her racecourse debut.

She gained ground smoothly and responded when called upon for her run, though she shaped a shade green when first coming under pressure. There was lots to like about how she came home to be beaten just a length in the Team Valor colours, faring best of the fillies in this maiden. The 25/1 shot looks good enough to win her maiden without much fuss and was well bought by a fine sales judge in Oliver.

Numantia

(Donnacha O’Brien)

Curragh, May 23rd

From the same maiden, Numantia rates a winner in waiting for Donnacha O’Brien after finishing three-quarters of a length behind Saxony Charms in fourth. He came home more strongly than any runner in the line-up, as per Coursetrack’s sectionals, and looked more raw than the other highlighted eye-catcher when first coming off the bridle.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Barry Fowler’s colt had to be asked for effort a little earlier, but he would have learned loads from making ground down the inner here, and he showed a very willing attitude under Paddy Harnett to make late gains into fourth (beaten a length and three-quarters in total). The son of St Mark’s Basilica cost €180,000 as a yearling in Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Sale and has quite the pedigree to support him.

He’s out of a four-time Group 3 winner in Bewitched, who has already produced Group 1 Moyglare Stakes third Oodnadatta, dual Group 3 winner Roberto Escobarr and Group 3/listed scorer Pablo Escobarr. He’ll be winning plenty of races for his most capable trainer.

Liberate

(Denis Hogan)

Curragh, May 24th

At a lesser level than the other runners flagged up in this column, it’s worth keeping an eye out for Denis Hogan’s Liberate, who flashed some promise as a 66/1 shot in the 19-runner handicap over a mile on Sunday. This Study Of Man filly was picked up for just 5,000gns by Colm Sharkey at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and had reached a mark of 82 for James Horton last year.

Her sole win came over a mile and a quarter on good ground. Since arriving on these shores, she hadn’t shown much obvious winning promise in her first three starts, but those runs were coming over a mile and a half and a mile and five furlongs - further than she’d ever tried before. Connections opted for a significant drop down in trip to a mile in this time, and it definitely did her no harm, albeit she possibly wants another couple of furlongs to be seen at her best.

What was really notable about her Curragh run was how strongly she travelled for a filly dropping five furlongs in trip - she was one of the last runners off the bridle. While never looking like landing a telling blow on the four-and-a-quarter-length winner, she did stick to her task for sixth and was beaten only six lengths. She’s since come down another 2lb to 66, which looks tempting compared to her mark in Britain. She ought to get back on winning tracks this summer.