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Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Kyprios should have class to prevail
Irish preview All eyes will be on legendary stayer Kyprios when he bids for a third win in tonight's Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes at Leopardstown. Now a seven-year-old, the sixteen-time winner (eight at Group 1 level) is being prepared for a tilt at a third Ascot Gold Cup next month – he won the race in 2022 and 2024 – and is following the same path as last year, having won the recent 'Vintage Crop' at Navan on his recent seasonal debut. A very high-class performer, whose career was interrupted by a serious injury which his 2023 campaign to just two runs, Kyprios normally does just enough in his races and, in Navan, he had to be driven out to beat Enfranchise (second in a German Group 2 on Sunday) by two lengths. Unbeaten in seven starts last year, Kyprios is a phenomenal performer and, although not a betting proposition today, at a very prohibitive price, he's a horse to savour by all racing enthusiasts. Ryan Moore is making the dash from York, where he rides Continuous in the Boodles Yorkshire Cup (3.45.) to renew his formidable partnership with Kyprios, his only mount on the card. The opening two-year-old maiden, the first of the season over seven furlongs, might develop into another head-to-head between Ballydoyle and Glenburnie, on the back of two such clashes in Naas last Saturday. This time, Aidan O'Brien relies on the 200,000 Guineas Wootton Bassett purchase while Ger Lyons runs the home-bred, Juddmonte-owned Mehmas colt Star Chamber. These newcomers face Donnacha O'Brien's Ipanema Beach, fourth to the impressive Charles Darwin on his debut at Navan, with the market likely to point us in the right direction. Perhaps, Italy will prevail. Willie Mullins will break new ground when saddling Reaching High, in the colours of the British king and queen, for the Leopardstown Lady Riders Handicap. Now 11lb higher than when registering his only win, at Wolverhampton last August, he's a dual-purpose prospect, worthy of note. But Joseph O'Brien's Beyond Your Dreams, successful on the flat at Listowel last September, makes plenty of appeal, returning to the level after a hurdle campaign which yielded a maiden win at Fairyhouse in December, beating Slurricane, who went on to perform creditably in the 'Booodles' at Cheltenham off a mark of 126. Beyond Your Dreams, a four-year-old filly, has scope for improvement on the flat off 73 and has solid claims. Still in the early days of the 'post-Rachael' era, Henry de Bromhead has a number of obvious chances on tonight's Kilbeggan card, the likely pick being recent Down Royal maiden hurdle winner Nastya, on her fencing bow, in the Cooke's Bar And Restaurant Beginners Chase. Noel Meade's recent Bellewstown winner Kaptain Bay should run a very big race in the Kilbeggan Handicap Hurdle.
Irish Examiner
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Sound Of Lightning can make some noise at Navan
Sound Of Lightning made quite a good impression on her racing debut and the filly can get off the mark at the second time of asking by taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 3YO Spring Series Median Auction Maiden, the sixth race on Saturday afternoon's card in Navan. Trained by Donnacha O'Brien, the homebred Flaxman Stables filly is out of an unraced daughter to the brilliant Six Perfections, and she showed that she inherited plenty of ability when third on debut in a race won by J M's Joy. That was four weeks ago, at the Curragh, and there is every reason to believe she can be considerably better this time. She was a little slow to find stride that day but made good progress into midfield before striding out well in the closing stages to take third spot. Drawn low here, she has every opportunity to take up a more prominent and favourable position through the early stages of this race, and she can improve enough to account for the experienced pair, Nobler and Vorfreude, and the promising Reyenzi. Zipster was a real eyecatcher on his recent return to the turf, at Leopardstown, and in the expectation of even better this time, he will go close in the Arkle Bar Handicap. The remarkable Kyprios is bidding for a third win in the listed Bar One Racing Vintage Crop Stakes and, at odds of around 1-5, he is hardly a betting proposition. This is a repeat of his start to last season, when he won here before going to the Saval Beg and on to the Gold Cup at Ascot, and onwards to a perfect season of seven wins. The seven-year-old is the standout stayer at the moment and has little to fear from his opponents here. Enfranchise and Leinster can push him closest. The best race on the card is the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes and while Catalina Delcarpio is raw in terms of experience — she made her debut just 17 days ago — she is an exciting sort and can take the step up in grade in her stride. Well backed to make a winning start in what looked like a good maiden, she travelled strongly, made rapid progress around the final bend, and quickened away to win as she pleased. It was tremendously impressive and if she does not find this race coming too soon, she will take some beating. Tarima has a similar profile and must be respected, while Ecstatic and Spicy Margarita have plenty of experience and are capable of hitting the frame. The listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed Stakes is a bit of a puzzle, but Whistlejacket sets the standard on two-year-old form and will take beating if forward enough for his return. He was a couple of lengths in front of stablemate Ides Of March, who re-opposes, when they met in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and the Prix Morny winner can improve further this season. He can take this at the expense of his old rival, while Bodhi Bear has race fitness on his side and the evidence of his comeback victory in Cork suggests he is upwardly mobile and has a profitable season in front of him.
