Serious Notions

(Ger Lyons)

Leopardstown, September 9th

A maiden win should be a formality for Serious Notions after her promising third in the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival. The pace was hot in this seven-furlong contest but nothing was able to get involved from behind either. With that in mind, it was to the Advertise filly’s credit that she picked up pieces to reach the frame and earn blacktype on her third start while still a maiden. In fact, her final furlong split was faster than any other runner in the race and she was the second fastest over the final three furlongs (only 0.03 seconds slower than the winner Kitty Rose). She has a fair chance of staying a mile next season. (MB)

Keke

(Ed Lynam)

Down Royal, September 8th

There was a definite step in the right direction from Dandy Man three-year-old Keke on his third start at Down Royal in a five-furlong maiden, catching the eye as he came home strongly from off the pace for third. The Eddie Lynam-trained colt has been a bit of a work in progress and this was his best effort yet. Being hampered straight away upon leaving the gates on both of his first two starts meant he could be excused to a degree for those mid-field finishes. He also got lit up and raced too keenly at Navan on his second start. This time, Billy Lee dropped the Wood Hall Stud homebred out and rode him to hit the line strongly in a first-time tongue-tie. He very nearly delivered a first win, flashing home to fail by a half length from Smullen’s Pride. It must be acknowledged that this looked a weak race on paper, and the winner was rated 69, but Keke is going the right way and could have more progress to come. (MB)

Capulet

(Aidan O’Brien)

Leopardstown, September 9th

Generally speaking, horses by Justify who win on debut in Britain or Ireland tend to be quality operators and that looks to be the case again with Dundalk first-time-out scorer Capulet, who confirmed his group-class talent when runner-up in the KPMG Champion Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown. The winner, stablemate Diego Velazquez, is clearly still not the finished article and appears to be excelling on raw ability, as opposed to race sharpness, but Capulet made him work hard and took a bit of pulling up after the line, though his rider opted against using his whip inside the final half furlong or so. Just half a length separated the pair and Capulet looks well up to making his mark at this level before the year is out - possibly even in Group 1 company in France. (MB)

White Birch

(John Murphy)

Leopardstown, September 9th

It’s hard to imagine the Murphys were anything but very pleased with the return run of White Birch in the Paddy Power Stakes. After a rotten experience in the Irish Derby and coming off a 69-day break, the son of Ulysses stuck to his task really well here, getting outpaced slightly before the straight but then running on strongly alongside Al Aasy and Layfayette to finish fourth. This was very much a stepping stone and with his proven ability on soft ground - he won the Ballysax on heavy ground - he should have a few options now. (RG)

Comfort Zone

(Joseph O’Brien)

Leopardstown, September 9th

The handicapper nudged him up 3lb in the aftermath but there is surely a valuable pot on the flat to be won with Comfort Zone on the evidence of his second in the €150,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF ''Petingo'' Handicap at Leopardstown. Returning from a 224-day layoff, the Joseph O’Brien-trained four-year-old had been hurdling when last seen and was making his first flat start since finishing third in last year’s Leopardstown October Premier Handicap - a race that has worked out well over the past year through the likes of Safecracker (second), Yashin (fourth) and Teed Up (ninth). Shane Foley tactically excelled on last weekend’s winner Satin, getting into the clear earlier than Comfort Zone was able too. Given the runner-up’s ability to perform on soft ground last winter, he might have found conditions a little livelier than ideal and looks one to note for the Leopardstown October or Naas November Handicaps again this season. (MB)

?Dartan

(Matthew Smith)

Leopardstown, September 9th

It is well documented by now that the pace held up in just about every race at Leopardstown on Saturday and so there are quite a few horses to note who made their ground from disadvantaged hold-up positions. Dartan was probably one of the most eyecatching. He raced at the back of the pack for most of the ''Petingo'' Handicap and Oisin Murphy still had all bar one of his rivals in front of him turning in but managed to weave his way through the field to finish a highly respectable sixth in the circumstances. Only the winner Satin produced a faster closing three-furlong time. Matthew Smith’s horse has been in great form recently, winning on back-to-back days at Bellewstown, and this run showed that he is still in that sort of form. There is another win in him, and he will have options on the flat and over hurdles, though connections may want to keep him on quick ground. (RG)

Kayhana

(Dermot Weld)

Leopardstown, September 9th

Ryan Moore did a fine job to get the well-handicapped Broadhurst in front when it mattered in the €150,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF ''Sovereign Path'' Handicap, but some others didn’t quite get the same smooth passage at the business end. Three-year-old Kayhana finished out her race nicely for third, having only had three or four behind her on the turn for home in this 17-runner affair. While Broadhurst came wide for an unobstructed run in the straight, the daughter of Harzand more so made her effort through the pack and posted a big effort to reach the frame on only her sixth start. She has yet to collect this season but seven furlongs looks to be her trip for now and there are bound to be better days ahead. (MB)

Vestigia

(Sheila Lavery)

The Curragh, September 10th

The Tattersalls Super Auction Sales race probably didn’t take a lot of winning, with the odds-on favourite Native American having little trouble in justifying his price. Vestigia came through to finish fourth and while she probably is no world beater, there was enough promise in this run to suggest she can be very competitive in a nursery off a mark of 75. Racing from a held-up position, she had loads to do a furlong and a half from home, but really finished her race out well with only the winner posting a faster closing three-furlong time and no rival as quick as her in the final furlong. This was easily her best performance yet and she is likely capable of better, as a half-sister to Paddy Twomey’s very useful Erosandpysche.

(RG)

Angels Wrath

(Johnny Murtagh)

The Curragh, September 10th

There was good early support for Angels Wrath in the ''Northfields'' Handicap but the deluge of rain put paid to that initial move and Johnny Murtagh’s filly drifted back out on track. I was one of those supporters at early prices, willing to take a chance on her off the back of her effort behind Al Husn, the subsequent Nassau Stakes winner, in a listed race on good ground at Ayr earlier in the season. She carried her head awkwardly that day and the thought process was that in a big field with a good, solid pace on quick ground, it might just bring out the best in her. To an extent, it did help her, she ran on well for seventh, and that was probably her best effort since Ayr, but the soft ground may well have been against her, and I think she could be worth a second look if granted a decent surface before the season finishes up. She remains lightly raced and has the potential to be at least at listed class filly, so a mark of 96 looks very workable. (RG)

Final Gesture

(Paddy Twomey)

Galway, September 12th

Final Gesture looked a real filly to follow when she won by five lengths on her debut for Paddy Twomey in a listed contest at Gowran earlier this season, but things haven’t really gone to plan since. However, she caught the eye in the listed race won by Thunder Roll at Galway on Tuesday. In what was a messy race, she lost her position coming down the hill, got bumped, and when she got going again, she was hemmed in for much of the straight. In short, she got ‘Galway-ed’ and it might be worth upgrading this effort. She has form on soft ground and will probably be better off back up in trip. Off a mark of 100, she could be interesting in the Irish Cesarewitch. (RG)