Muted Melody

(Tony Mullins)

Gowran Park, October 3rd

It didn’t go unnoticed that Muted Melody ran a big race at Kilbeggan when third two starts ago, considering she was quite on her toes in the parade ring and seemed a shade reluctant at the start. The promise of that effort behind a couple of useful-looking types was backed up when fourth of seven in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mucklemeg Mares Bumper - beaten 12 and a half lengths by the unbeaten Liadawn. This four-year-old filly by Walk In The Park is out of an unraced half-sister to the mighty Faugheen and it looks as though she’s got the potential to keep improving with racing and experience. She went without the hood she’d sported on her first three starts, but didn’t race with any hugely concerning degree of keenness this time. This was the slowest ground she’s faced so far and a little more improvement is required to win a bumper, but she’s still young and could have more to come as she continues to mature. The three rivals in front of her here were previous bumper winners.

Thundering On

(Joseph O’Brien)

Curragh, October 4th

Thundering On is the first foal out of Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Thundering Nights, and she made a pleasing start to her career when keeping on into fourth in a seven-furlong fillies’ maiden last weekend at the Curragh - the same venue as her dam’s biggest success. A home-bred for Shapoor Mistry and keeping the family tradition going by racing with Joseph O’Brien, this two-year-old by Frankel was always going to struggle in a maiden like this after getting into stride slowly (slowest of any runner in this 13-runner field to reach 20mph, as per RaceiQ), but she warmed to the task nicely as the race developed. She still looks a little raw and that means there ought to be a good deal of progression in her following this experience. She has the makings of a useful three-year-old on the basis of how she finished off faster than anything else in the field from three furlongs out to the line. Connections have also handed her an entry for the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas.

Fairys Fortune

(John Flavin)

Gowran Park, October 4th

There haven’t been many easier winners of maiden hurdles in recent weeks than what we saw at Gowran Park on Saturday from the Harvey team’s Daydream Nation, who looks well bought at £40,000 out of Colin Bowe’s yard from the Goffs UK Aintree Sale earlier this year. It might be unwise to get carried away with the overall standard of the race in behind, but Fairys Fortune shaped as though she could be worth keeping an eye on in handicap company off a low mark when fourth in this two-and-a-half-mile event. Trainer John Flavin had a winner and three seconds from five runners on this card, so the team is in good form, and this mare did well to get involved in the minor money after being dropped out early on in this 12-runner contest. She didn’t pick up instantly when asked to get involved, but stayed on quite well between horses in the straight and was making only her second start. She’s a half-sister to a listed-placed bumper mare named Palm Sur and six-time winner Smitty Bacall, who reached a peak mark of 125.

Churchfield Annie

(Emmet Mullins)

Tipperary, October 5th

Smart types like Switch From Diesel and Party Central have won recent editions of the four-year-old fillies’ bumper run at Tipperary last Sunday, and there was a likely smart winner again in 2025 with the Henry de Bromhead-trained La Cote Fleurie. It’s worth keeping an eye on the third-placed Churchfield Annie going forward too, though, after a lovely introduction for Emmet Mullins. The Joshua Tree filly caught the eye coming home to really good effect - faster than anything else in the field from three furlongs out to the line - after the winner established a handier position throughout and kept going. Owner Conor O’Brien’s €16,000 foal purchase is bred to have a future too, being a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Embittered and 145-rated chaser Precious Cargo. She’s capable of winning a bumper but might be even better over further than this two-mile trip over an obstacle.