AN intriguing and high-class prelude to next month’s Irish Champion Stakes witnessed a superb all-the-way triumph for Success Days in the Kilfrush Stud Royal Whip Stakes.
This 10-furlong contest wasn’t the feature race on this quality card but one would have to go a very long way to find a better Group 3.
Of the seven runners, four were rated 114 or higher and that quartet had either won or been placed at the highest level this season. This test demanded a career best from Success Days on his first outing since his fine third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
As is his wont, the Robert Ng-owned Success Days (10/1) made the running under Shane Foley and he cut out a brisk tempo from Fascinating Rock, whose comeback effort will surely have delighted his connections.
Success Days pressed on for home turning into the straight and his rivals were soon toiling as they looked to get on terms on the soft ground. Fascinating Rock led the chase and he stayed on in style all the way to the line, but his effort came up three-quarters of a length short. Moonlight Magic ran a fine race to secure third ahead of the Epsom Derby second US Army Ranger.
“He’s rated 114 but was really up against it on ratings, which shows what a strong renewal of the race it was,” said Condon. “He’s a very straightforward colt, he’s a strong galloper and the plan today was to see if he could stay straight against the far rail, and he did. His two previous runs were his best but visually and, given that he stayed straight, this was his best run to date. The plan would be the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown if the ground is suitable and if not we’ll look at the English Champion Stakes.”
PLEASING
Fascinating Rock ran a very pleasing race on his first run since landing the Tattersalls Gold Cup. It is well established how well he can progress from a mid-season break and he is firmly in the mix for the Irish Champion Stakes.
Apart from the Royal Whip, several members of Aidan O’Brien’s juvenile team limbered up for their respective Irish Champions Weekend targets. Firstly, to Churchill, whose unrelenting march towards a crack at one of the season’s premier juvenile contests continued in the Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes. The Chesham and Tyros Stakes hero faced just three rivals and the standard of his previous form meant that he went off a worthy 1/4 favourite to give Aidan O’Brien his third win in this Group 2 in the last four years.
The Seamie Heffernan-ridden Churchill cruised up to join Arcada nearing the last furlong but, just as he did so, Radio Silence threw down a menacing effort on his outer. The favourite responded well to this fresh challenge and asserted in likeable style to hit the line with two lengths to spare.
“That was lovely and Seamie was very happy with him,” declared O’Brien. “He doesn’t do a whole lot when he hits the front, as we saw at Ascot and Leopardstown, but he quickens well. The plan would be to come back here for the National Stakes.”
Looking towards 2017 for the colt, who is among forerunners in the ante post betting for the classics, the trainer added: “I’d be hoping that he’d get further than a mile, but you would be thinking of him as a Guineas horse. He’s a big, powerful colt with a lot of speed.’’
O’Brien and Heffernan then made it a Group 2 double as Rhododendron (11/8) outpointed stablemate Hydrangea in the Breast Cancer Research Debutante Stakes. In a good guide to next month’s Moyglare, Rhododendren stepped forward nicely from her Goodwood maiden win last month.
Hydrangea ensured there were no hiding places, as she made the running, but entering the last quarter of a mile Rehana, Intricately and the winner were all poised to strike. Heffernan’s mount picked up best to lead entering the last furlong but at the line she had just a diminishing head to spare over a rallying Hydrangea. Intricately ran a fine race to take third ahead of Rehana, while the Royal Ascot winner Brave Anna had to settle for sixth.
“The first two are very nice fillies and Brave Anna just got a bit tired. She had a good break since Ascot and will come forward,” reported O’Brien. “The plan would be for all three to come back here for the Moyglare. They should all stay further as well.”
Before the victory of Success Days, Ken Condon took the wraps of a promising sort in Landfall, who made all the running under Niall McCullagh in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
This seven-furlong contest was confined to newcomers and a decent showing was clearly expected from this Myboycharlie gelding, who returned at 11/1 having been as big as 20/1 in the morning. When Landfall quickened the tempo heading into the last couple of furlongs he opened up a race-winning lead that saw him finish three-quarters of a length ahead of Exemplar. The winner carries the colours of Carl Howell.
“He’s pulled himself together in the last three or four weeks, although the ground has been very fast and we haven’t been able to work him on grass,” declared Condon. “He’s a lovely, scopey horse and he’ll be a nice middle distance horse next year. I have him entered in the Beresford Stakes and he’s likely to have just the one more run this year. As he’s eligible for premiums he might be one that we’ll travel to France.”
FLYING FILLY
Flying Fairies (4/1) made it two wins and five placings from her seven starts this season in the Luke & Nellie Comer Memorial Apprentice Handicap. The Killian Leonard-ridden filly launched a sustained effort from over a furlong out, which got her past Club Wexford deep inside the last furlong for a one and three-quarter-length success.
“She’s a very tough, genuine filly and she just doesn’t want extremes of ground. We’ll just see what the handicapper does before deciding on plans,” reported Joe Murphy, who trains the winner for Geraldine Magnier.
The capable dual-purpose performer Morga (16/1) won her first race on the flat for over three years as she turned the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap into an utterly one-sided affair. The Des McDonogh-trained filly came here off an eye-catching run over hurdles at Galway, where she finished just over two lengths behind Heartbreak City to whom she was conceding 12lb. On this occasion Morga only got upsides the leaders early in the last furlong but she then sprinted clear to finish nearly four lengths clear of Ceol Na Nog.
“She’ll probably go back hurdling now. She loved the ground and got a lovely ride. We might even try chasing with her at some stage,” reported McDonogh, who trains the six-year-old for Karl Davis.
On his first two runs he struggled to make an impact, but Red Sabor has done well for the addition of blinkers and followed a recent Dundalk second with victory in the At The Races Nursery. Yet another winner for Andy Slattery, Red Sabor (13/2) made all the running for Declan McDonogh. He was pressed on all sides with well over a furlong to run but dug in well and drew on again in the closing stages to prevail by a length and a half. The €16,000 yearling purchase is owned by Brendan O’Sullivan.
Big Ben completed an excellent day for Aidan O’Brien in the 10-furlong Breast Cancer Research Maiden. On his first outing since taking third behind the high-class Stellar Mass here in early June, the Seamie Heffernan-ridden colt made all the running. The 13/8 favourite always looked to be doing enough to remain in control in the last couple of furlongs, but had to endure a late scare when he collided with the running rail, which caused him to fly jump for a couple of strides. He soon got back an even keel though to defeat stablemate Tree Of Knowledge by three-quarters of a length.
“He’s tough and hardy and hopefully he’s one that will keep progressing,” remarked the trainer.
O’Brien satisfied
AIDAN O’Brien expressed himself satisfied with US Army Ranger’s fourth in the Royal Whip.
“He just got a little tired and it was a little rough off the last bend. We’ll just see how he comes out of this, but the Irish Champion Stakes is a possibility,” commented O’Brien.
Heffernan ban
SEAMIE Heffernan picked up a one-day whip ban for his efforts on Rhododendron in the Debutante Stakes.
Acting Stewards
T. Hunt, J.F. Gillespie, L. McFerran, P.N. Reynolds, P.W. Murtagh
Horse To Follow
TRADFEST (J.S. Bolger): This half-sister to Smash Williams began her career brightly with a third place finish in the maiden won by Landfall and looks a surefire future winner.