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THE one-time Derby favourite Luxembourg is on course for a return to the big stage after returning from a break to record a battling success in the Group 3 Fitzdares Royal Whip Stakes.
The Vertem Futurity winner was returning to racecourse action for the first time since his third placing in the 2000 Guineas after which pulled muscles derailed his early summer campaign. On form and ratings, Luxembourg towered over his rivals beforehand but the 2/9 favourite was given quite a scare by Insinuendo who was on a comeback trail of her own on her first outing since the opening day of the turf season in Ireland.
Accelerate
There was a point nearing the straight where Luxembourg looked to be in trouble as Ryan Moore was starting to niggle him along. To his credit he responded to his rider’s promptings and he found a change of gear to accelerate to the front with over a furlong to run.
At this point, Insinuendo was getting into the clear having been struggling to get a run and she quickened well to head the market leader for a stride or two. Luxembourg found more though and pulled victory out of the fire to score by a neck. The pair were four and a quarter lengths clear of the rank outsider, Realism.
“With what happened we weren’t sure he would make it back this season. Everyone has done a great job to get him over his first mishap and things haven’t been smooth with him since he came back,” said a pleased O’Brien.
“Our eyes were on the Irish Champion Stakes but we couldn’t go there without a run. We didn’t want this race to turn into a grueller and they probably didn’t go quick enough for him but he had to get down and run hard for the last couple of furlongs which is just what you’d want ahead of a championship race like the Irish Champion Stakes.
“I can’t tell you how happy we are with this and I thought he could improve 20 to 30% from this. The three races we had an eye on this were this race and then the Irish Champion Stakes and if all goes well at Leopardstown it will then be the Arc de Triomphe,” concluded the Ballydoyle trainer.
Enright’s first
It was an afternoon which Limerick-born apprentice and recent RACE graduate Oisin Enright (17) will cherish forever as he made his first ride on the track a winning one when teaming up with Dermot Weld’s Thaleeq to spring a 20/1 surprise in the Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital Derek O’Sullivan Memorial Apprentice Handicap.
A winner at Laytown last November, the Colvin Ryan-owned five-year-old burst through between horses to lead a furlong out and carry the day by two lengths.
“Oisin rides well and he has a future. I had a lot of confidence that if the horse was good enough he would be good enough,” remarked the Rosewell House trainer.
Ducky’s in charge
The card concluded with another great story as the Donal Kinsella-owned, bred and trained 11-year-old Ducky Mallon (9/1) landed the Holden Plant Rentals Handicap over six furlongs to record his first win in over three years.
Ducky Mallon returned from a near two-year absence to finish an excellent second at Sligo the previous week and he confirmed the promise of that display to defeat Lion Ring by three-quarters of a length. The son of Jeremy led over a furlong out as he recorded the ninth success of a 76-race career.
“He had an accident nearly two years ago, he chipped a bone in his near fore and the chip is still in there. Every time we run him is a bonus and, to think, not alone a bonus but we get a winner,” declared Kinsella. “He’s a star. He controls the yard, he has his own box and nobody is allowed to get past unless they go and see him first. At least that’s the way I think about it.”
THE much-improved Raise You continued his relentless climb up the ranks in the Group 3 Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial Stakes which looks to have sealed a place in one of the highlights of Irish Champions Weekend for Joseph O’Brien’s charge.
This six-year-old hasn’t looked back since stepping up to a mile-and-a-half here late last season and he showed that he is quite at home over a couple of furlongs further with a clear-cut defeat of the dual Irish St Leger heroine Search For A Song.
The Jonathan Palmer-Brown and Brian Gleeson-owned gelding cruised through the race for Shane Crosse and was travelling all over Search For A Song from the turn-in. The 110-rated 5/4 favourite steadily moved clear of that rival and went on to reach the line with a couple of lengths to spare.
“We were concerned beforehand about a lack of pace but they went a nice gallop and Shane said he settled very well. He’s kept improving and improving and I’d imagine he will be back here for the St Leger next month,” declared the trainer’s representative Brendan Powell.
“He’s not the easiest horse and Leighton (Aspell) did a lot of work with him before he left. Paddy Vaughan, who rides him out every day, has also put a lot of work into him.”
Daamberdiplomat strikes
The afternoon kicked off with a very interesting Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden where Daamberdiplomat (10/1) struck for Johnny Murtagh and Ben Coen. This Cotai Glory colt was dropping down in trip following a respectable debut seventh behind Hans Andersen here last month and that experience, coupled with a drop in trip, saw him take a significant step forward.
Ben Coen dropped in from a potentially troublesome wide draw and then deftly threaded his way through the field after halfway to strike the front well inside the last furlong. At the line, the Whyte Hickey Rafter Kilkenny Syndicate-owned winner had half a length to spare over Bird Of Play who also impressed in recovering from a slow start which left him looking on from last for much of the race.
“That was impressive, I thought. He was maybe a shade keen over seven furlongs the first day but I knew he’d improved plenty from that. He settled well for Ben today and picked them up quite easily,” remarked Murtagh.
“We’ll give him four or five weeks before running again and maybe something like the Killavullan later in the season could be a race for him.”
Palace shocks
A somewhat trying start to the day for punters continued into the six-furlong TRI Equestrian Nursery Handicap where the Kevin Coleman-trained Palace Gardens sprang a 22/1 shock under Wayne Lordan.
This filly was second in a reasonable Fairyhouse maiden earlier in the season at odds of 150/1 and returned to that form following three below-par efforts.
In first-time blinkers Palace Gardens was always up with the pace and she was then one of the first under pressure but she toughed it out well to get home by a length and a half from Lasmuigh.
Coleman trains the winner for his wife Kim and reported that his charge could now be bound for the Tattersalls August Sale at the end of the month.
THE talented juvenile Mauiewowie made it two wins from three starts in the Listed Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club Curragh Stakes over five furlongs where she bounced back from an odds-on defeat at this level at Naas last month.
The Ger Lyons-trained daughter of Night Of Thunder, who is owned by American-based Eleanora Kennedy, showed a really likeable attitude under Colin Keane. After chasing a strong pace, she looked vulnerable approaching the last furlong and Treasure Trove then looked to have been delivered with a winning challenge when striking the front. Mauiewowie (15/8) fought on splendidly though and was back in front at the line where she had a short head to spare.
“We were very worried about the ground but they have done a marvellous job on it,” stated Ger Lyons. “I think going six furlongs with an ease in the ground she will come into her own and it wouldn’t shock me if she didn’t run again this season.”
Dilemma delivers
After plying his trade at a much higher level of competition lately, Prisoner’s Dilemma (3/1) outclassed his opponents as he dropped down to handicap level in the Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital Handicap over six furlongs.
A runner-up in a listed race on Derby weekend and fourth in the Minstrel Stakes last month, the six-year-old was ridden with the utmost confidence by Joey Sheridan and he eased to the front inside the last furlong before a smooth two and a half lengths success over Sister Rosetta.
“This race was a little bit of an afterthought after his run at Tipperary last week (third to Erosandpsyche) but that was a lovely performance,” stated Johnny Levins whose charge is owned by Epitome Racing.
“We were weighing up a race in York and the Ayr Gold Cup but I’d say we are leaning towards preparing him for the Dubai Racing Carnival. I think that Dubai could suit him very well so that is the direction we might take.”
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