Dandy Lichious

(Ger Lyons)

Dundalk, March 31st

There were plenty of big reputations heading into the opening all-weather two-year-old maiden of the season at Dundalk, and the Willie Browne-trained winner Buyin Buyin may be Royal Ascot-bound this summer. Dandy Lichious was safely held in fifth, beaten six and a quarter lengths, but he did show some promise in defeat and can be expected to improve a fair deal. He sat well off the pace and looked a little green when the tempo lifted, but he went past the line like one who should be all the better for the experience. Speaking in a recent TDN stable tour, his trainer Ger Lyons had flagged up that the Dandy Man colt “has been standing on his hind legs telling me he is ready to run since Christmas Day”, but “he’s not as ready as he thinks he is”. He can win a maiden when getting it all together. (MB)

Tom The Second

(Johnny Murtagh)

Dundalk, March 31st

It’s likely that the extended-mile-and-a-quarter maiden run at Dundalk on Friday of last week was an above-average event for the venue at this time of year. The Ballydoyle-trained pair of San Antonio and Cape Bridgewater filled the first two places, while third-placed Just An Hour, trained by Joseph O’Brien, had shown plenty of promise on his debut at the track in December. Further down the field in sixth, Johnny Murtagh’s representative Tom The Second showed ability despite being beaten 10 and a half lengths. He might just have a lacked a gear over this trip and should stay a mile and a half on this evidence. There is a mix of speed and stamina in his pedigree, being out of a six-furlong two-year-old winner, who is a half-sister to Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente. Expect Tom The Second to sharpen up for this initial experience and go on to better things this summer. (MB)

Warm Heart

(Aidan O’Brien)

Leopardstown, April 2nd

There was definite improvement from Warm Heart’s debut fourth at Dundalk in November when second to well-regarded winner Curvature in the opening fillies’ mile maiden at Leopardstown last Sunday. Bred to be useful as a sister to Group 3/listed runner-up Celestial Object out of triple Australian Group 1-winning mare Sea Siren, she was well placed given how the race unfolded but her lack of experience may have counted against her at the death on heavy ground. She should have more to offer next time for Aidan O’Brien. (MB)

Persian Jewel

(Paddy Twomey)

Leopardstown, April 2nd

In the same maiden, Persian Jewel finished three and a half lengths behind Warm Heart but can be expected to finish much closer if renewing rivalry with that filly next time. The Paddy Twomey-trained three-year-old by Showcasing missed the kick, which proved a hindrance in a race where nothing off the pace threatened the one-two, who filled those positions throughout. However, she made lovely progress late in the day to run on for third and the stable’s runners have the potential to improve from their debut efforts. She looks another future maiden winner in waiting and has a solid enough pedigree, being out of a 92-rated Galileo mare. (MB)

Karlsberg

(Shane Crawley)

Leopardstown, April 2nd

Karlsberg ran a fine race on her seasonal debut in a mile handicap at Leopardstown last Sunday. Sat in third, well off a hot pace set by Eastern Wind and Princess Rajj, she had no answer to the Cristal Cleere when that rival surged to the front in the straight, but it was admirable the way she fought on for second, with it looking highly likely she was a sitting duck for those coming from off the pace. The winner and third came back to finish first and second in different races here on Wednesday so the form looks solid. Shane Crawley’s mare should come on for this now, and significantly this was just her second start over a mile, so she has further scope to progress. (RG)

Valiant King

(Joseph O’Brien)

Leopardstown, April 2nd

Despite being hit with a 6lb rise for a near miss at Leopardstown last Sunday, it should not take long for Valiant King to break his duck for Joseph O’Brien and Qatar Racing. He showed some potential when third in a Killarney maiden and fourth at the Curragh last July/August, and had been off for 225 days prior to his comeback in this mile-and-a-quarter handicap off 83 on heavy ground. Signora Bellissima made all and wasn’t for catching on the front end, but it is to Valiant King’s credit that he managed to only be denied by a short-head as he powered home strongly from off the pace, having lost ground when slowly into stride early on. The pair pulled five lengths clear of the rest, and the runner-up can prove better than this level of form in the fullness of time. (MB)

Wild Dollar

(Eddie and Patrick Harty)

Leopardstown, April 5th

In a race where it paid to race close up with the pace, Wild Dollar very much caught the eye with his surging late run from the back to finish third to Cristal Cleere in a 10-furlong handicap at Leopardstown on Wednesday. The five-year-old was notably well backed for the two-mile handicap hurdle here on St Stephen’s Day when he finished eighth, while he bled when disappointing on his penultimate start. This was much better back on the level and on this evidence, Eddie and Patrick Harty’s five-year-old looks well up to scoring off a mark of 79. (RG)

Hutton Glen

(Ger Lyons)

Bellewstown, April 6th

Hutton Glen was a notable maiden runner for owner/breeder John Donohue, as a son of his admirable mare Lagostovegas, and he ran a fine race on debut, keeping on nicely to take third in the mile maiden won by Fast Tara at Bellewstown on Thursday. Bellewstown can be a difficult track to negotiate for a newcomer but the Ger Lyons-trained gelding acquitted himself well and should benefit from the experience. He is by Aclaim, so there is plenty of speed in his pedigree, but his dam was a real stayer, having won the Ascot Stakes, so it might be over middle distances that we see the best of him. (RG)

Marciano

(Edward O’Grady)

Clonmel, April 6th

Marciano caught the eye when making his debut in a maiden hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday. At 22/1 shot, Edward O’Grady’s gelding pulled hard early on, showing clear signs of inexperience, however he was still in contention with the main group heading into the straight. His earlier exertions eventually told on the heavy ground and he faded to finish fifth, 14 lengths off the winner Feu De Bresil, but this was a decent first effort. His dam has produced three multiple winners and is a half sister to Colonel Braxton. (RG)

Sam’s Xpress

(Kieran Cotter)

Bellewstown, April 6th

Sam’s Xpress looked like the winner for most of his five-furlong rated race at Bellewstown on Thursday, only to give way to Polar Bear and Escaping Thejungle late in the day. This was still a pleasing effort by Kieran Cotter’s three-year-old who arrived here on a hat-trick after back-to-back impressive wins at Dundalk. He made all for both of those wins, which is what he tried to do here, and it seems likely the heavy ground prevented him from really kicking away from his rivals. However, he showed that mark of 76 is warranted and he will be a significant threat when he gets a decent draw at a turning track on better ground. (RG)