IT’S probably fair to say that since he won his first two starts, it hasn’t gone to plan since for Michael O’Callaghan’s Steel Bull, who has travelled over to Sandown today to take on the Coral Listed Scurry Stakes (2:15).
Bought by Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez after the second of those two wins, in the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood, the son of Clodovil was one of the main contenders for the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, only to break three of his teeth in a nasty stalls incident before the contest even began.
From there on he ran a close fifth to Ubettabelieveit in the Group 2 Flying Childers and filled the same position again in a listed contest at Dundalk. A little disappointing when ninth on his seasonal debut in the Sole Power Sprint Stakes at Naas, he now needs to build on his early promise.
“He needed his first run of the season,” O’Callaghan said. “It was his first start against older horses and the ground wasn’t ideal, but he has come out of the race well.
“Back over a fast five furlongs in England will suit him. He has a lot of natural speed and the way he has to be ridden and held up the draw might actually suit him.
“It is tough for three-year-old sprinters. We will just feel our way through this year as I think he will develop into a really good sprinter.”
O’Callaghan isn’t the only Irish trainer represented in the race as, for the second Saturday in a row, burgeoning trainer Kevin Coleman is represented in a big ITV race, this time with the in-form Queens Carraige.
Coleman’s Only Spoofing found only one too good in the Epsom Dash last weekend and the former jump jockey will rightfully be buoyed by that result. Queens Carraige has progressed fast under his care and comes here looking for a fourth win in a row.
Elsewhere at Sandown the booking of Ryan Moore on two Hughie Morrison-trained runners catches the eye. Moore and Morrison often combine very well (five winners from 15 runs in the last five seasons and 28 wins from 126 runs in all, producing a level stakes prospect of €37.17).
They first team up with King Of Clubs, a five-length winner of a Nottingham maiden, in the Coral Handicap (3:25) and then the hat-trick seeking Sulochana in the Coral Backing Prostate Cancer UK Handicap (4:35).
Lyons’ selective travel plans make Aikido worth a second look
AS of yesterday, with three of the five days of Royal Ascot at the five-day entry stage, Ger Lyons has no runners engaged to run at the meeting.
The Meath-based trainer has always seemed happier to keep it country with his horses but of course has had notable success when travelling to Britain, scoring his first Group 1 win there with Lightening Pearl in the Cheveley Park and more recently, taking the Ebor with Mustajeer.
Given that selective policy, it makes Aikido most interesting in the Pavers Foundation Catherine Memorial Sprint Handicap (3:40) at York today. The lightly-raced three-year-old, whom Lyons’s wife Lynne co-owns with David Spratt and Sean Jones, has won the latest two of his four starts in total.
The son of Dandy Man has an awkward-looking head carriage and it will be interesting to see how Sam Ewing gets on with him today. Ewing, a crack pony racing rider and now promising apprentice jockey, is having his first ride in Britain.
PUNTERS who follow Irish trainers’ runners in Britain, particularly at the smaller tracks, will be latching onto Denise Foster’s quartet at Hexham today, three of which will be ridden by Daryl Jacob.
Homme d’Un Soir, Santana Plessis, Stranger Danger and Gealach look to have good chances (all in the top two of their respective markets) for the Cullentra yard who have only had 35 runners overall at the north east track, eight of which won.
Homme d’Un Soir looks like Foster’s best chance, priced at 4/11 for the second race (a novice hurdle) and it was just over 88/1 for the accumulator at best prices yesterday evening, if you are so enticed.