Curragh Sunday review: Reports, reaction and free video replays
Point well made by returning Lonsdale
Point Lonsdale showed the engine remains firmly intact to make a winning return in the SP Or Better Guaranteed With Tote Alleged Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien’s Australia colt struck four times as a two-year-old, winning not only the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot but also the Tyros Stakes and Futurity Stakes on home soil.
He lost his unbeaten record in the final start of his juvenile campaign, finishing second to Native Trail in the National Stakes, and then suffered his second defeat when unable to land a blow in last year’s Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
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That was his only start at three and he has since spent 351 days on the sidelines.
But he allayed any fitness doubts stepping up in trip in this 10-furlong Group Three and having shadowed Joseph O’Brien’s Visualisation on the front end, showed a tremendous attitude to reel in that chief market rival when hitting top gear in the closing stages.
“I’m very happy with that on his first run back on that ground. He’s going to stay further,” said O’Brien.
“We thought as a two-year-old he would get further than seven furlongs, but he never went any further because we had other horses. Then we ran him in the Guineas and he got injured.
“There was nowhere to hide today. Joseph’s horse went a good gallop and none of the other horses were able to close.”
Set to be campaigned over similar distances to fellow high-class four-year-old Luxembourg, Epsom’s Coronation Cup could become the major summer target for Point Lonsdale as O’Brien shuffles his pack accordingly.
He continued: “We have Luxembourg in the same sort of bracket. At the moment we are looking at the Ganay for him and if not the Mooresbridge.
“This horse could go for something like the Coronation (Cup) and take in another race before that.”
Betfair shortened Point Lonsdale to 14/1 from 20s for that contest, while he is 10/1 from 16/1 for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Democracy rules at the Curragh
Aidan O’Brien wasted little time getting on the scoresheet at the Curragh when Democracy landed the opening Irish Racehorse Experience At INS Irish EBF Maiden in taking fashion.
Sent off the even-money favourite for the six-furlong content, the son of No Nay Never always looked to have plenty lurking under the bonnet and quickened away smartly from the opposition inside the final furlong.
He was the best part of three lengths clear at the line and with the full-brother to Richard Fahey’s Midnight Mile impressing the master of Ballydoyle, O’Brien indicated he could soon return to the Kildare track for the GAIN First Flier Stakes on May 1.
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He said: “You’d have to be very happy with that on very deep ground. He travelled very well and when Wayne (Lordan) dropped him down to go he was a little bit lost on that ground but he would never have seen that ground before.
“It was a good education for him. He has plenty of speed and I’d say he’s a classy horse. He’s big and he’s strong and very laid back. There is a Listed race (First Flier) back here in a few weeks and we could look at that.”
Goldana sparkles on first start for Joseph O’Brien
Goldana made a winning start for Joseph O’Brien in the Lester Piggott Gladness Stakes.
The daughter of Galileo Gold was previously trained in Germany by Peter Schiergen and was an impressive six-length winner of a Listed contest at Hannover in October – her final start before transferring to the Owning Hill handler for €130,000.
Sent off at 17/2 for her Irish debut in this Group Three event, jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle kept the four-year-old hot on the tail of the pace-setting favourite Mea Domina throughout and although she looked in trouble with McMonagle getting serious inside the final quarter-mile, Goldana knuckled down gamely to soon assert her dominance and surge clear in the shadow of the post.
“I’m delighted for the owners. It’s their first horse with me and she looks a smart filly going forward,” said O’Brien.
“She had good form on slow ground in Germany and it’s nice to start off the season with a Group win for her. We bought her in Arqana last year and she is a sister to Love Reigns who is a smart filly for Wesley Ward. She has a pedigree and was a Listed winner already.
“She won her Listed race over nine furlongs so she’ll probably stay a bit further. It looked as though she got a little bit outpaced when they quickened up, but she came good in the last 100 yards.
“She has loads of options and there is a lovely programme for fillies. The Athasi back here may come a bit quick for her.”
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Donnacha O’Brien is another eyeing Pattern company next following Porta Fortuna’s triumph at 9/2 in the Irish National Stud And Gardens Irish EBF Fillies Maiden (replay below).
He said: “She was our first two-year-old runner so it was good to see her do that. I thought she was a nice filly, but it’s hard to judge when you haven’t run one.
“Gavin (Lynch) said he followed the one that there was a bit of money for and he got the gap at the right time and she quickened up well.
“We might have a look at a Group race for fillies at Naas next month. She has plenty of scope so is not just a five-furlong filly.”
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Bright Legend showed huge improvement on his second outing to land a blow for Fozzy Stack in the Tote Fantasy Who’s In Your Stable Irish EBF Maiden.
“He stays well and likes that ground,” said Stack.
“He’s a very big horse and still has a lot of maturing to do. He’ll probably be a better horse next year. We’ll probably try to find a winners’ race for him. He ran away from the whip and he did well to get him organised again. He gave him a good ride.”
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