AIDAN O’Brien bridged a gap of some 17 years between winners in the TRM Ballyogan Stakes as the Royal Ascot bound Actress recaptured last year’s promise to secure a second success at Group 3 level.
The daughter of Declaration Of War was her trainer’s only runner as he looked to win this race for the first time since Dietrich landed the 2001 Ballyogan which was run over Leopardstown’s now defunct sprint track. Although Actress appeared to have something to find with a couple of her rivals she was dropping down in grade after contesting a quality Group 2 at Haydock last month.
On this occasion the 11/2 shot bossed this race from the front for Seamie Heffernan. In truth, not many of the seven runners were able to land any sort of a telling blow although Henry de Bromhead’s Gorane offered stiff resistance. Hard as she tried though, the later couldn’t ever find a way past Actress who scored by a length and a quarter.
“She’s a good, hardy filly who loves that ground and that’s her second win at this level – she won the Anglesey Stakes here last year,” said O’Brien. “I’d say we will bring her back to Ascot for the Commonwealth Cup.”
A victory at Navan last month marked out Blue Uluru as a sprinter going places and, despite everything going wrong this time, she more than confirmed that impression with a narrow success in the €50,000 TRI Equestrian Superstore Handicap. The Ger Lyons-trained filly was a 5/2 favourite to defy a 7lb rise for Navan but she took a fierce hold through the first half of the race which seemed sure to take its toll in the closing stages.
To her considerable credit, Colin Keane’s mount still had plenty left in reserve and, after leading with over a furlong to run, she kept on tenaciously to hold the oncoming Dali by a head. The Nick Varney and Amy Vaughan King-owned filly will surely progress in a better class of race and she remains a sprinter of real promise.
“It was all going wrong for her from the start but she is a talented filly,” commented Lyons. “She is a work in progress and this was the next step for her. She’s come through that and we’ll see what the handicapper does with her now.”
O’BRIEN’S FORM
Joseph O’Brien maintained his stunning run of form with a treble that concluded with a dominant display from Tissiak (11/8) in the TRM’s Calphormin Irish EBF Fillies Maiden over 10 furlongs. The Eimear Irwin and Sue Magnier-owned daughter of Fastnet Rock, whose siblings include last year’s €1.6 million Orby Sale topper, had shown plenty of promise to finish second on her first two outings. Donnacha O’Brien sent her on early in the straight and she stayed on strongly for a two-length triumph over the newcomer Lure Of The Sea.
“She’s a beautiful filly who had two very good runs. She’s in the Irish Oaks and we’ll work back from that and find a stakes race for her next,” stated O’Brien.
The treble began when Dom Carlos (11/1) routed a field that contained four previous winners in the five-furlong Paddy Power Irish EBF Median Auction Race. On his third outing, the Donnacha O’Brien-ridden and Martin O’Sullivan-owned colt broke alertly to lead from the outset and he had his rivals hard at work shortly after halfway. The son of Gale Force Ten then maintained a relentless tempo to finish four lengths ahead of Evasive Power.
“He’s stepped up plenty with each run. He was fairly impressive there in what was quite a good race,” reflected O’Brien. “He’s got plenty of pace and he came here off a good run last time. He’s a slow learner which is why he wears the blinkers.”
Seamie Heffernan was on board Joseph O’Brien’s other winner as Remmy D (7/2) made all in the mile and a half TRM’s ‘Kurasyn 360X” Handicap. The Nick Bradley Racing Club-owned son of Lawman, who had filled the runner-up spot in two of his last three outings, had his five rivals struggling from early in the straight and he saw off City Ballerina by a length and a quarter.
“He’s progressing with racing and he got to the line well there. We tried blinkers on him one day but they didn’t work at all and cheekpieces suit him much better,” declared the trainer.
DETERMINED
Twelve months ago he used the race to launch the career of Verbal Dexterity and this time around Jim Bolger introduced another smart looking type in Copia Verborum in the Studio One At the Silken Thomas Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden. Kevin Manning had initially opted to partner the winner’s twice-raced stablemate Vocatus but when that runner was scratched he switched on to this Jackie Bolger-owned newcomer who made a mockery of his 33/1 starting price.
Copia Verborum was never too far off the pace and stayed on in determined fashion over the course of the last furlong to defeat the once raced Motashakel by a length and three-quarters.
“I was a bit surprised that Kevin opted for the other horse as this fellow had been working nicely but Kevin was probably swayed by the other one’s experience,” declared Bolger. “He’ll be able to step up from here and he’s from a very good family.”
Eddie Lynam secured his first winner of the season when Soffia (5/2) made short work of her rivals in the TRM Excellence In Equine Nutrition Maiden.
This Lady O’Reilly-owned daughter of Kyallachy showed plenty of promise in two placed runs last autumn and looked at least as good as ever on her first try at five furlongs.
Robbie Downey’s mount came through to lead with over a furlong to run and she kept on nicely to finish two and a half lengths ahead of Amthaal.
“It’s nice to get a winner in those colours. Lady O’Reilly has been with me a long time. This filly had good form in the book ,” observed Lynam. “She was actually the first foal that my daughter ever bought and I liked her so much as a yearling I ended up buying her with Lady O’Reilly.”
ACTING STEWARDS
N.B. Wachman, P. Coveney, Ms. J. Farrell, J. Murphy, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
MOHAWK (A.P. O’Brien): This son of Galileo looked quite green on his debut but he certainly caught the eye in the closing stages to eventually be beaten just over six lengths into fifth. He could progress substantially from this outing.