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South Wales Guardian
06-05-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Oppenheimer hopes he has the Queen for Cheshire Oaks crown
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the daughter of Frankel stole a march on her rivals when impressing at Yarmouth recently and although the strength of that wide-margin win is still to be proven, the sister to the owner's Group One star Cracksman arrives at the Roodee with untapped potential yet to be unlocked. Oppenheimer said: 'She'll stay the Cheshire Oaks trip and I hope she will run well. She just could improve and we're really experimenting with her, she's learning all the time. That's more like it!🤩 Cracksman's full-sister Queen Of Thieves gets off the mark with a scintillating performance at @GTYarmouthRaces! — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 22, 2025 'She won well at Yarmouth, but I'm afraid I don't think the opposition was overly serious, so she may have looked a bit better than what she is. 'It's a Listed race and it would be great if she can get in the first three, with her pedigree the extra distance should help a little bit. We'll see and we're open to some improvement hopefully.' The race was won last year by Ralph Beckett, who this time relies on That's Amore, who dazzled on her racecourse bow at Newbury last October and now wears the colours of Lady Bamford. Beckett said: 'That's Amore was quick away on debut, round the bend at Newbury, and she enjoyed that. It was a good effort obviously from the front and she shapes like she'll get the trip. She's been away from home to work and that went well.' No trainer has his team in finer form than Andrew Balding and he will saddle the returning Secret Of Love, who finished 2024 with a silver medal in the Montrose Stakes at Newmarket. Andrew Balding has enjoyed a fine start to the campaign (Joe Giddens/PA) 'Secret Of Love was second on her final start last season in the Montrose at Newmarket and she is a decent filly,' said Balding. 'I would hope she will be competitive stepping up in trip here and it looks a good spot to start her off.' Meanwhile, Aidan O'Brien will bid for a record-extending ninth victory with Minnie Hauk. The Ballydoyle handler said: 'Minnie Hauk is a nice filly who pleased us when second in a maiden at Cork first time out and then went to Leopardstown and won nicely. 'She's done very well over the winter and we think the trip should only help her. She's in good form, but will improve plenty from the run.' Aidan O'Brien has plenty of success at Chester (Mike Egerton/PA) O'Brien also has a strong hand in the Boodles Chester Vase Stakes, where Lambourn states his case to make the Coolmore Derby team after chasing home Delacroix on his return in Leopardstown's Ballysax Stakes. 'Lambourn had a lovely run behind Delacroix over a mile and a quarter in the Ballysax last time,' said O'Brien. 'We always thought he'd be a middle-distance horse and he's been working nicely. We are happy with everything he's done since, and going up another couple of furlongs will only help him. He's Ryan's choice.' Lambourn will be joined in a raiding mission by Thrice and O'Brien added: 'He won his maiden and was then fourth in a Group race at Leopardstown. We think Chester will suit him and, although we are not sure about the trip, we think there's a chance he could get it as he's a nice, lazy sort of horse.' Straightforward success! Quadrilateral's full brother Pinhole scores second time of asking in workmanlike fashion for @Rossaryan15, @RalphBeckett and @JuddmonteFarms… — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 14, 2024 Karl Burke tests the big-race credentials of his unbeaten dual Redcar winner Convergent, while Beckett has been left with no choice but to run the Juddmonte-owned Derby entrant Pinhole and Square D'Alboni against one another due to the uncertainty about conditions at Lingfield. 'Pinhole shapes very much like a stayer, and Square D'Alboni is bred to be one, but they are two very different types,' explained Beckett. 'Square D'Alboni is a light-framed athletic sort of horse, and a gelding, and so not in the Derby. He's a Listed winner already and I didn't want to start him under a penalty, so this looked a good spot for him. 'Pinhole is a bigger, longer type whose work has improved through the spring. They are having to take each other on because of the question mark over Saturday's Lingfield Trial, but I'd be pretty hopeful of both of them.'
Irish Examiner
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Mataariki makes all to land Gowran Park spoils
Successful on this track on her debut last year, Mataariki made all to land the €30,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap for Joseph O'Brien on a Gowran Park card given the go-ahead after a morning inspection. Sent off the 3-1 joint-favourite, the Cracksman filly dictated the pace under Dylan Browne McMonagle, poached a clear lead early in the straight, and kept on well to beat Marakesh by a length and a half. 'A couple of her runs last year have worked out well and she's learning the whole time,' stated O'Brien. 'We've experimented with different trips, but Dylan feels seven is a good trip for her. 'She enjoys juice in the ground and this race has been good for us (O'Brien has won four of the last five renewals). These super competitive fillies handicaps are very important. We'll try to find another one for her and we'll try for some black type again at some stage.' It was Donnacha O'Brien's turn to taste success in the one-mile fillies' maiden as Gavin Ryan partnered 3-1 favourite Dahlia Noir to a narrow victory over Lady Lilac. 'She was rated to win a maiden, so it's great to get the job done,' commented the trainer. 'She has loads of ability but keeps a bit for herself — Gavin said she idled when she hit the front. She should be better in a better race. And we'll try to find a handicap that suits her.' Irish 1,000 Guineas entry Varshini, ridden for Fozzy Stack by Seamus Heffernan, ran out a convincing winner of the seven-furlong Gowran Park Golf Club Maiden, beating the consistent Kilmood Susan. 'She had a good run last year, but had a few niggly hold-ups,' explained Stack. 'She probably needs a dig in the ground and I hope she comes forward from today. She's in the Irish Guineas, but that'll come a bit quick. We'll try to find a nice stakes race for her somewhere.' Successful on his seasonal debut at Naas for Mick Mulvany, Dance For Chester followed up on his first start for Stephen Thorne when justifying 11-10 favouritism in the Dining Packages At Gowran Park 3-Y-0 Handicap, providing Jack Kearney with another success at the County Kilkenny track. The Ribchester gelding travelled strongly into the lead before holding off the Mulvany-trained longshot James The Second by three-quarters of a length. Mulvany enjoyed a tonic in the following Thomastown Handicap when Dinamine opened his account, at the 35th attempt, earning the spoils, on the nod, over Serengeti Sunrise. 'I had him as a two-year-old and he was a goodish horse, but he went away and only came back a couple of months ago,' explained Mulvany. 'We found out a bit about him and it's great that he's won for his owner/breeder Seán Finnegan.' Despite a tardy start, Scott Key (100-30 favourite) bolted up by almost five lengths for the Slatterys in the Irish Injured Jockeys Handicap, his second venture into handicap company. Winning trainer Andy Slattery said: 'I was hoping he'd do that, to get him into the premier handicap in Naas on Monday (the Blackwater 3-Y-0 Handicap). 'He was very big as a two-year-old and green the last day in Cork, but he improved a lot. If he's okay, he'll go to Naas, with a 7lb mandatory penalty.' And Shane Foley gave Yvonne Latta's Spring Evening a well-judged front-running ride to win the finale, the @gowranpoark1 Handicap, dictating the pace and, ultimately, holding the late flourish of favourite Elle Dorado Rock by a half-length. The lightly-raced five-year-old should give the Latta team plenty of fun as a dual-purpose performer.
