GER Lyons and Colin Keane have been nothing short of metronomic with their flow of winners in recent weeks and the pair struck with yet another promising type in Blue Uluru in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
This unraced daughter of Choisir, who is out of a half-sister to the successful American sire Distorted Humor, could hardly have a more pleasing start to her career in this six-furlong heat. Owned by New York-based Nick Varney and Amy King, Blue Uluru always held a good position for Keane and put herself in with every chance entering the last quarter of a mile. The well-backed favourite and fellow newcomer Aurora Eclipse was a tenacious rival but the 3/1 chance subdued her to score by half a length.
“She’s very quiet at home but was quite green beforehand there and unseated Colin going to the start. She behaved very well from the minute she was loaded though,” reflected Lyons. “She’s going to improve plenty from this and before she steps up I’d say she might head for a six-furlong winners’ race at the Curragh on the Monday after Galway.”
Daybreak Boy (9/2) built on an encouraging comeback behind Tennessee Wildcat at Gowran Park last month to claim an interesting mile and a half rated race for Henry de Bromhead. After initially making the running, Daybreak Boy was headed by Black Ruby after halfway and he had to work hard to subdue that challenger in the straight. The lightly raced John Byrne-owned four-year-old dup deep to get on top in the last furlong and, despite drifting left in the closing stages, he battled well to deny Fiesole by half a length.
“He’s a tough horse who is still quite immature. It was a good performance from a lightly raced type and there should be plenty of improvement in him,” reported Smullen.
RED-HOT FORM
Another trainer in red-hot form is Joseph O’Brien and he followed a victory in the opener at Tipperary by sending out Boragh Steps to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden. A good debut third to Dawn Delivers at the Curragh seven days previously saw the Footstepsinthesand filly returned the 4/5 favourite. Over the last furlong and a half she was given a decent examination by Solar Wave but she responded well to Donnacha O’Brien’s promptings to defeat that one by a length.
“She was entitled to win if she reproduced her first run,” reflected the jockey who was sporting the colours of the Boragh Stud Syndicate. “This was a good race for her and six furlongs is a good trip for her. She went on again when the second horse came to her.”
MASTERFUL RIDE
The Eddie Lynam stalwart Captain Power benefitted from a masterful ride from Robbie Downey to take the featured Dublin’s Q102 Handicap over six furlongs. The five-year-old hadn’t quite reached his peak this season but made a resounding return to form under an ultra-cool ride.
Captain Power, who was running without a hood for the first time since he made his debut as a juvenile in 2014, was locked away on the inner for much of the straight. Downey calmly waited for his chance and was able to angle out off the rail entering the last furlong. Once he was able to challenge, Captain Power (9/4) quickened smartly and he took charge late on to score by three-quarers of a length.
“He got a very good ride and we took the hood off him today as we felt it had nearly been working too well,” reflected Eddie Lynam of the Sabena Power Partnership-owned gelding. “He likes going round a bend and battled well and this is his best trip.”
Tom Dooley, who has been such a fine advertisement for the talents for trainer Richard O’Brien, made it three handicap wins on the spin in the 45-65 Race Display Handicap over six furlongs. Fresh from a victory at Leopardstown three days previously, the 2/1 favourite coped well with a drop back in trip and Sean Davis produced him for a three-quarter-length triumph over A Likely Story.
“The trip was maybe a little sharp for him but he got a lovely ride from Sean who was planning to be more prominent but felt the horse wasn’t travelling early so he took his time,” observed O’Brien who will now look at Galway for the Ballingarry Partnership-owned gelding.
OXX WINNER
John Oxx’s Guardia Svizzera (9/1) accounted for some better fancied rivals with a tour de force from the front in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over seven furlongs. The Barbara Keller-owned gelding had most of his rivals in trouble turning for home and, after entering the last two furlongs with a decent lead, Declan McDonogh’s mount stuck to his task well to defeat the staying-on At Your Service by half a length.
“He’d been running quite well over shorter trips but seven furlongs on fast ground was ideal for him today,” commented the trainer. “We’ve put a hood on him to relax him and that’s why he’s been able to stretch out to seven furlongs. He’ll go for a handicap next.”
Ahead of Galway, Tony Martin enjoyed a heartening week and he made it three winners in five days with Landsman in the Dublin’s Q102 Apprentice Handicap. Nothing was going better than the 6/4 favourite as he cruised into contention entering the last two furlongs of this mile and a half race and Oisin Orr exuded the utmost confidence in his mount.
However, the Newtown Anner Stud-owned top-weight had to fight hard to fend off Political Policy by a short-head.
“He’d a couple of good runs and it’s great he’s won for us now. He enjoyed the quick ground and we’ll just see how he comes out of this before making plans,” commented Martin.
ACTING STEWARDS
J.M. McGrath, Justice L. Reynolds, J. Rearden, M.C. Hickey, P.D. Matthews
Horse To Follow
FEISTY KATERINA (B.W. Duke): On her debut, this Vocalised filly showed up well to take third behind Blue Uluru and a maiden can come her way this season.