Tashakour

(Johnny Murtagh)

Curragh, July 19th

The opening two-year-old maiden for colts and geldings over seven furlongs at the Curragh on Irish Oaks day is often a race that works out well, and this year’s renewal has the potential to be another smart edition. While Aidan O’Brien’s trio of runners, who finished 1-2-3, will command most attention going forward, there was also another pleasing effort further back in the field from the Johnny Murtagh-trained Tashakour. For a newcomer, he didn’t have a lot of light in the middle of the field and two of those who finished in front of him (including the winner) had an experience edge over him, as well as racing closer to the pace. His stable isn’t renowned for first-time-out juvenile winners and there’s often a nice progressive nature to their two-year-olds, so a good step forward can be expected from this sixth-placed showing, beaten three and a quarter lengths. He’s got a promising pedigree, being by Night Of Thunder and out of a 10-furlong winner who reached a Timeform rating of 99. This colt’s dam is also a half-sister to listed winner Tarana, the dam of top-class performer Tarnawa.

Burford Beauty

(Gavin Cromwell)

Curragh, July 19th

Given she was 125/1 and never looked like winning she mightn’t have clocked as an obvious one to note, but there was more than a glimmer of promise in the sixth-placed effort of Gavin Cromwell’s Burford Beauty in the concluding seven-furlong fillies’ maiden at the Curragh on Irish Oaks day. Having been beaten 20 lengths from a double-digit draw at Fairyhouse on debut, she took a definite step in the right direction here. Approaching the final three furlongs, she was well back in the field in 17th of 21 runners and jockey Jack Kearney, who reported to the stewards that his mount “ran around off the bridle”, gradually unwound her challenge. She still could have been in roughly 12th approaching the final furlong but did some excellent late work. As per Coursetrack, no runner in the line-up was faster than her through the last two furlongs, including a clear standout fastest final furlong. Beaten a total of three and a half lengths and likely to have got up for fourth with another few strides, it will be fascinating to follow how she fares next time, as to whether she’ll progress enough to win a maiden immediately or improves down the handicap route. Regardless, this Equiano three-year-old has potential to win races, for all that this didn’t look a vintage fillies’ maiden by typical Curragh standards.

Green Interlude

(Joseph O’Brien)

Curragh, July 20th

Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle have been firing on all cylinders lately, including with some useful looking juveniles. One who didn’t click on debut but looks likely to in the not too distant future is Green Interlude, whose chances were effectively zero after blowing the start completely. However, she caught the eye running on into fifth in the seven-furlong fillies’ maiden won by Sugar Island at the Curragh last Sunday and is worth keeping an eye on. Signs of inexperience on debut are hardly a surprise when it comes to the progeny of this filly’s sire, Dark Angel. For such a high-quality stallion, his strike rate with juveniles on debut has long been less impressive than many of his counterparts, but that means there’s usually an angle for extra improvement on their second starts and so on. Green Interlude, carrying the colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, was nearly last approaching the two-furlong pole and Browne McMonagle opted to educate her in between runners down the inner, which should stand her in good stead for future assignments. She never looked like reaching the leaders but kept on well to be beaten by three and a quarter lengths, not a bad showing given where she came from. What’s more, she was the fastest runner in the field from two furlongs out to the final-furlong, and the second fastest from there to the line. She should have more to come.

Slaney Impact

(Jim Bolger)

Curragh, July 20th

Long-range Group 3 entries in the Ballyroan (made before his debut), Royal Whip and Irish St Leger Trial indicate connections of Slaney Impact must think something of the New Approach three-year-old, and his career got off to a positive start when third in a mile-and-a-half maiden won by Light As Air at the Curragh on Sunday. Not unbacked on his introduction (SP 17/2, from a morning price of 16/1), there was no shame in coming up short against two rivals making their sixth start, with the winner described as “a well handicapped horse” off 88 by Aidan O’Brien, while the runner-up had finished second in the Ulster Derby on his previous start. Slaney Impact pulled three and a quarter lengths clear of the third, plugged on gamely to reach the frame and had the longest average stride in the race (as per RaceiQ). He doesn’t look to want any shorter than the 12-furlong trip on this evidence, but is still a work in progress. On paper, he’s got a chance of being useful enough too, as the first foal out of 10-furlong winner, who reached a peak Timeform rating of 95+ for the stable in 2019.