Offshore Bay

(Henry de Bromhead)

Cork, April 19th

Conditions were pretty demanding for newcomers on Cork’s flat card last Saturday, and there was a bright introductory run from Henry de Bromhead’s debutante Offshore Bay in the opening mile maiden. The three-year-old filly by New Bay broke well enough, but wasn’t kept up in the vanguard, instead allowed to settle in mid-field as the eventual one-two raced right on the pace. She got a little further back than ideal turning in, sat in 13th, and showed some greenness when first asked for her finishing effort. However, the most pleasing part of the performance was how she rattled home to only be a couple of lengths off reaching the first four, beaten a total of seven lengths in seventh behind mostly rivals with an experience edge over her. According to the Coursetrack sectional data, the 24.25 seconds Offshore Bay clocked in the final two furlongs was faster than any other horse in the 17-runner field. In fact, her final furlong sectional of 12.30 seconds was faster than any other runner on the entire card at Cork. She might fly a little under the radar given her finishing position, but this was a likeable debut from a filly who looks open to plenty of improvement.

Early Dawning

(Willie Mullins)

Fairyhouse, April 20th

The Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper at Fairyhouse is well able to throw up quality types, and this year’s race could easily do similar to previous editions. Robert Tyner had I’m Slippy trained to perfection to collect on debut, but the third-placed newcomer Early Dawning could be one with substantial progression in his locker for the experience gained here. The Authorized four-year-old, well-bought for €60,000 at last year’s Derby Sale, looked plenty raw here under Tom Costello but showed a fair deal of speed in the process. In fact, as per RaceiQ, his top speed of 34.96mph reached here was quicker than anything else in the field - in fact, it was faster than any horse on the entire card at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday. He didn’t do a whole pile when hitting the front and gave the impression he’d be all the better for this experience. The Turkish-bred gelding is out of an unraced half-sister to dam of Group 1 winner Princess Zoe and should make into a nice hurdling prospect next season, potentially over trips at the shorter end of the spectrum given the speed he showed on this occasion.

Thedeviluno

(Paul Nolan)

Cork, April 20th

Paul Nolan has his string in excellent form at present and would have had another winner at Cork on Easter Sunday, but for running into something out of the ordinary in the two-mile-three-furlong bumper. Willie Mullins’ deeply impressive debut winner Doctor Du Mesnil shaped as though he could be out of the top drawer when posting an 11-length victory under Jody Townend, and the Nolan-trained runner-up Thedeviluno put up a fine performance in his own right to finish a further 13 lengths clear of the field (third-placed runner previously filled the same spot in a Gowran bumper). Having shaped well when sixth in a messy race at Fairyhouse on debut and just failed in second on his only other start at Wexford, this was probably as good as he’s shown all season and he was unlucky to bump into a prospect like this. He’s got a light pedigree, but is clearly useful enough to win races going forward.