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Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Green Impact amongst the favourites for the Glencairn Stakes at Leopardstown
Leopardstown hosts a good card and the listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Glencairn Stakes, which is one of the twin features on the programme, can go the way of Green Impact. While it hasn't been the luckiest of seasons thus far for trainer Jessica Harrington, there have been positive signs in recent weeks, and considering the team was under a cloud when this fellow finished sixth in the Newmarket 2000 Guineas, significant improvement can be expected this time. A Group 2 winner in his short juvenile season, he beat leading Epsom Derby fancy Delacroix that day and there is no reason to believe we've already seen the best of him. In Newmarket, on his return, the pace didn't seem to be strong enough for him, and he found himself towards the head of the field a couple of furlongs from home. He wasn't able to sustain his effort, but he kept going well enough to hold on to sixth place behind Ruling Court. The step up to nine furlongs should be no problem to him, and the recent rain, which has just taken away any potential fast ground scenario, is a positive for him. Sure, it would be better if the Harrington team was saddling winner after winner, but that day is bound to return and he can give the yard a welcome boost. Currawood is a consistent sort at this sort of level and should go well, while the Ger Lyons-trained Bravais defied market weakness when winning on his stable debut and any further improvement would put him firmly in the frame here. Pierre Royal can carry top weight to victory in the BoyleSports Home Of The Early Payout Handicap. Dermot Weld's Kingman colt was no match for the experienced First Wave on his debut but made no mistake on his second start, when leading all the way and winning by a wide margin. Those efforts earned him an opening mark of 88 and that looks manageable for the three-year-old. Out of Rose De Pierre, who won a Curragh Maiden on debut and followed up in a handicap off a mark of 91, he too can climb to a rating in three figures, and this race can help him on his way there. The Listed King George V Cup is a tricky looking contest, but there may be some value in siding with the Fozzy Stack-trained Bay Colony, despite the filly having a nice bit to find on official figures. Last time out, on her first try at today's trip, she shed her maiden status, and there is a strong chance that the form is considerably better than it looked at the time. Better ground won't be a problem and she is just preferred to Arouet and Acapulco Bay. LEOPARDSTOWN 4:20 Minerva 4:50 Love Billy Boy 5:25 Bay Colony 5:55 Green Impact (nap) 6:25 Pierre Royal (nb) 6:55 Zipster 7:30 Pink Socks 8:05 Great Mover Next best 4:20 Little Sure Shot 4:50 Fort Vega 5:25 Arouet 5:55 Bravais 6:25 Ja'marr 6:55 Tachos 7:30 Instant Appeal 8:05 Amplitude
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Proven course performer Deressa out to secure valuable prize in €200k Gowran Classic
Beware of bookies bearing gifts is normally sound advice, but not at Gowran Park's bank holiday Monday fixture where free entry to the track is being sponsored by the Irish National Professional Bookmakers Association. It coincides with a second running of the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms Gowran Classic, the richest race of the year at the Co Kilkenny course. The winner will receive free entry into the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby later this month or into the Juddmonte Irish Oaks if a filly is successful. That proved the case a year ago as Fleur De Chine was successful for Jessica Harrington . The Moone trainer has two of the 11 runners lining up at Gowran Park this time for a race designed to try to boost opportunities for middle-distance bred horses in Ireland. Harrington's number one jockey Shane Foley has opted for Nancy J. READ MORE Top-rated is the Ballydoyle filly Heavens Gate, who landed a valuable sales race as well as a Group Three last year. However, she has failed to fire in a pair of starts this season and beat only two home in the French 1,000 Guineas. This trip of almost 10 furlongs could stretch her stamina. Joseph O'Brien has four shots, with And So To Bed the apparent first choice. But it is Deressa that could prove a solution. She has won twice already this season at Gowran to reach a rating of 93. Of all the runners, the filly bred by the late Aga Khan shapes perhaps as the one most open to progress. A stall one draw is no impediment to her chances either. The other bank holiday fixture is in Listowel, Co Kerry, where champion jumps jockey Paul Townend will fancy his chances of winning on both his mounts. La Note Verte is a course bumper winner from last year who goes in the opening hurdle, while Blood Destiny's rating makes him a standout in a later chase. In other news, Monday will also see an important latest forfeit stage for next weekend's Betfred Epsom Derby and it is set to see the unbeaten Aga Khan colt Midak supplemented into the 'Blue Riband' at a cost of £75,000 (about €89,000). Epsom's authorities have titled this year's Derby in honour of the late Aga Khan, who died in February. Shergar was the first of five Derby winners to carry his famous green silks. Midak won the Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud on his last start, after which his trainer Francis-Henri Graffard recommended a tilt at Epsom. 'He's unbeaten in three starts, we know he gets the trip, he's got the right kind of character to be able to handle Tattenham Corner and all the noise that comes with the Epsom Derby,' Zahra Aga Khan, daughter of the late Aga Khan, said. 'It's nice to have a runner this year because the race is being run in honour of my father, and [Midak's] done everything he should to be a valid runner in the Epsom Derby.' Another potential supplementary entry into the Derby from France is the Juddmonte-owned colt New Ground. Pour Moi, in 2011, was the last of 10 French-trained Epsom Derby winners.
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Double delight for in-form O'Keeffe
Darragh O'Keeffe's recent move up the ladder at Henry de Bromhead's stable has already begun to reap its reward, but on Thursday night at Limerick it was a 27-1 double provided by Enda Bolger and Edward O'Grady which brought his tally for the new season to an impressive 13 winners. In the Treaty Plant Hire Handicap Chase, he got Bolger's Tippin And Tappin up in the shadow of the post, but it was less dramatic aboard O'Grady's Priory Park, which led turning for home and found plenty to beat stablemate Ceroc in the Gairdin Glas Handicap Chase. Of the latter, O'Keeffe reported: 'I thought he'd run a big race. He was a bit unlucky the last day, in Killarney, over shorter. The second-last fence was omitted then and they got away from me, and all I seemed to do was stay on. Up in trip today, and there was an honest gallop, and he jumped well, on the whole. It worked out grand.' Useful hurdler Intellotto made a seamless transition to chasing in the Summer Racing At Limerick Racecourse Beginners' Chase. The mount of JJ Slevin, and trained by Joseph O'Brien, he set off in front alongside market rival Jigoro and they remained almost inseparable until he began to turn the screw as they approached the turn for home. Quite quickly, matters were in hand, and the odds-on favourite raced away to win as he pleased. 'He's a clever horse, with plenty of scope and plenty of size, and it was a nice first run over fences,' said Slevin. 'He was entered in Killarney the other day, but Joseph decided to wait and do a bit more schooling with him. He was a high-class hurdling horse, and it looks like he's going to run to that level over fences. He could be an exciting novice for the summer, into the autumn, I hope.' In the opener, Seán O'Keeffe got it very right aboard the Sean Aherne-trained Get It Right, setting the fractions from the outset and keeping plenty in the tank to fend off the persistent late challenge of market leader Crowsatedappletart. In the absence of would-be favourite Look To The West, only three went to post for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares' Chase. Je T'Ai Porte took over at the top of the market and did a good job of justifying that position. Keith Donoghue allowed the Gavin Cromwell-trained 4-5 chance to lead early and thereafter she remained in control despite A Law Of Her Own, who eventually lost second place to Justabitofyours, throwing down a credible challenge early in the straight. Clonshire River gained a long overdue first success inside the rails by taking the Anglo Printers Handicap Chase for Eddie and Patrick Harty and jockey Kieren Buckley. Still relatively lightly raced over fences, this was a decent effort and one he should be able to build upon. 'It's been a long time coming with this fella,' admitted Eddie Harty. 'His first run for us was a very good run, and he looked like he could go on to things. However, he went backwards but had little bits of issues, in fairness to the horse. This was a while coming, but he likes the summer ground, and we freshened him up for this. His jumping won it for him, really — he jumped really well.' Iceberg Theory built on a most promising chasing debut by taking the Munster Drilling Beginners' Chase, despite the ground being quicker than ideal. Conor Stone-Walsh set off in front, but his mount was unable to hold his position on the ground. However, the young rider kept him close enough to mount a late challenge. As Boston Rover ran around on the approach to the final fence, he jumped upsides and then picked up better than the long-time leader to win with a couple of lengths to spare. Winning trainer Paul Nolan said: 'You can see by his galloping, he bends his knee, but it's hard not to take your chance in a 120-or-less-over-hurdles race. 'He has had a few nice runs. His run was good the last day, against Henry's mare (Majestic Force). He was sketchy early on in that race and got himself detached a bit, but Seán (Flanagan) looked after him and got him going late. On the basis of that, he had a great chance today, and we had to let him take his chance.'
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Intellotto can make winning start to life over fences at Limerick
Not too many Lope De Vega's take their chance over fences, but Intellotto can add to the small band of the stallion's progeny to be successful in the sphere by taking the Summer Racing At Limerick Racecourse Beginners' Chase, the third race on this evening's card in Limerick. Joseph O'Brien's now five-year-old has won once in seven outings thus far on the level, boasts two wins from five outings over timber, and can make an immediate impact over the larger obstacles. Last time out, in mid-April in Mallow, he was having his first run since August, and it showed as he was never able to get into a position to land a meaningful blow. Nevertheless, he finished third behind Smooth Tom and just three parts of a length behind Jigoro, who is his chief rival this time. While that one has previous form over fences and it was a second-place finish, it was a disappointing effort, and the quick ground is likely to be against him. Intellotto is proven on good going, is 10lbs better off with Jigoro, and with that run under his belt, he should be more than ready to do himself justice. Only four go to post for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares' Chase but it is quite an interesting race. It is difficult to look beyond the Henry de Bromhead-trained Look To The West, who ran well on her chasing debut, which was during a sticky period for the stable, and duly built on it by winning a beginners' chase in late April at Kilbeggan. Having been tried at graded level twice last season, she is clearly held in some regard, and it will be disappointing if she fails to follow up here. However, Je T'Ai Ports has loads of experience and it's not inconceivable that she will be allowed to return to her free-going, front-running tactics to exploit the inexperience of the selection. If that is the case, it could put a very different spin on the race. A Law Of Her Own has some smart form but needs to improve to worry the selection. Aspurofthemoment can also make an immediate impact over fences by taking the Munster Drilling Beginners' Chase. Winner of a Dromahane point-to-point for Eugene O'Sullivan, he subsequently joined Gavin Cromwell and continued on his winning way by taking a handicap hurdle at Gowran Park. He then followed up at Bellewstown, and he looks the type to maintain his progress now sent over larger obstacles. Iceberg Theory and Grooveykindoflove can fill the frame.
Rhyl Journal
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Navan victor Carmers heading for Queen's Vase
The Wootton Bassett colt won on debut just over a week ago, taking a Ballinrobe maiden by a length and a quarter with the rest of the field well strung out behind him and the runner-up. He started as the 6-4 favourite under Billy Lee when stepping up to Listed level on his second start, tackling the same one-mile-five-furlong trip in a field of seven. Again the bay showed his class, racing prominently throughout and easily shaking off all challengers to secure a three-length victory from Adrian Murray's What's Your Game. Twomey said: 'I was very happy with the way he did it in Ballinrobe. He's a horse that just does what he has to do, hence the headgear (blinkers). 'I thought he would run a good race (in Ballinrobe) and I thought he would finish the race well. I thought he would be in the (first) three. He surprised me maybe just how well he won at the line, he won comfortably and Donagh (O'Connor) said he had to go down the back straight to pull him up. 'He came home, licked the pot, rode out this week, didn't care and I said to Billy 'I'm going to put him in the Yeats and see what happens'. As the week went on, it became clear that he was ready to go. 'We were keen today to get a lead, we knew we'd stay and ordinarily we might have jumped and made it, but he's a horse that I don't think would like to be in front too long. 'When he went to the front I was a little bit concerned but, to be fair to him, he picked up and rallied. He's keeping plenty for himself, I'd say there's plenty in him. 'He has ability but he is just like the trainer – he does what he has to do! 'I said it to the owner there, that race (Queen's Vase) in Royal Ascot is probably the right race for him. He's a stayer and he has enough experience to go to a race like that. 'I was thrilled when Fiona (Carmichael, owner) asked us to train the first for her a couple of years ago and she kindly sent me on this horse. She has been very patient with me. He trained very well all last year without being asked any question. He has trained well this spring and is two for two in eight days.' Earlier on the card there were two notable winners for Aidan O'Brien, firstly in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over six furlongs. Gstaad, a half-brother to Vandeek, was the horse who came home in front, striking by three-quarters of a length on debut to find himself entered into the Coventry Stakes market at 10-1 with Paddy Power. O'Brien's other winner, and another horse throwing his hat in the ring for Royal Ascot, was the €2.2million purchase Seattle. Winner of the five-furlong Navan Racecourse Maiden by a length and a quarter, the colt is now a 25-1 chance for the Commonwealth Cup with both Paddy Power and Betfair.
