Under The Radar: 10 Irish-Trained Three-Year-Olds To Keep Onside In 2025

[Wandering Eyes]

The wait is almost over. With less than a month until the Flat season proper gets underway, what better time to draw up a list of under the radar runners, beginning with Brian Sheerin's nominations from Ireland. From potential Classic contenders to well-handicapped sprinters rated 76, our man in Ireland has put forward 10 horses who will hopefully prove profitable to follow this season.

Giselle (Ire)

Frankel (GB) filly out of Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire})

Form: 213

Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Giselle could be one of the most exciting fillies that Aidan O'Brien has to look forward to this season and she deserves to be spoken about in the same breath as Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). 

That is a big statement for a filly that was twice beaten as an odds-on favourite and only managed to win a maiden. But there are reasons to suggest that Giselle can prove herself to be the real deal. 

For starters, she was sent off a short-priced favourite when beaten by stablemate Bedtime Story on debut at Leopardstown. The latter went on to post one of the most electric performances of the entire week at Royal Ascot when landing the Chesham Stakes by almost 10l before stretching her unbeaten streak to four with wins at Group 3 and Group 2 level. 

Giselle was understood to have picked up a minor setback in the middle of last season, which saw her landing a Curragh maiden off the back of a 121-day layoff, the form of which has yet to be tested. 

And while she could only manage fourth–later promoted to third–in the G3 Staffordstown Stakes on her final start, a line can be drawn through that effort given it represented a tight turnaround on top of what was presumably a tough enough preparation for that maiden success. 

All told, O'Brien sent out 14 different fillies to achieve ratings in excess of the mark of 96 that Giselle managed in three starts as a juvenile, but chances are that this filly ranks highly among Ballydoyle's hopes for Classic success this season. Odds of 33-1 for the Oaks would appear a very fair offering.

Bay Colony (Ire)

New Bay (GB) filly out of Coco Rouge (Ire) (Shamardal)

045

Fozzy Stack

Fozzy Stack and long-standing owner Craig Bernick enjoyed some good days with You Send Me (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who came agonisingly close to winning the G3 Athasi Stakes at the Curragh last season. The pair could have a similarly exciting filly to carry on the mantle in the shape of You Send Me's sister Bay Colony (Ire) (New Bay {GB}). 

A €480,000 purchase at the Goffs Orby Sale, Bay Colony has been set some stiff tasks in her three starts to date, including when fifth in a Group 3 over a mile at the back-end of the season. 

She should come into her own over further this season and appears a filly who will only get better with time. A maiden should be well within her compass and she can make her mark at pattern level. 

Johnny Murtagh: trainer of Subsonic | Tattersalls

Subsonic (Ire)

Lope De Vega (Ire) filly out of Laganore (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus})

2

Johnny Murtagh

Laganore provided trainer Tony Martin and jockey Colin Keane with a breakthrough Group 1 success respectively when landing the Premio Lydia Tesio in Italy back in 2017 and it would appear as though she is going to be an important broodmare to Newtown Anner Stud judging by the smart debut performance that Subsonic posted for Johnny Murtagh at Leopardstown last October. 

Sent off at odds of 10-1, she gave the more experienced and high-class prospect Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) most to think about when going down by just a half a length. That was quite an impressive performance given Subsonic was forced to come widest in the straight and, while she was ultimately no match to Minnie Hauk, they pulled clear of the third. 

Everything in Subsonic's pedigree would suggest she will do better when she goes up in trip and she rates a smart middle-distance prospect. 

Acapulco Bay (Ire) 

Dubawi (Ire) colt out of Je Ne Regretterien (GB) (Galileo {Ire})

21

Aidan O'Brien

How could you not fall in love with Acapulco Bay after his Curragh maiden win last August? Having bumped into stablemate Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Iire}) on debut, he took a step forward to win that maiden when upped a furlong in trip to a mile. However, he barely had to come out of second gear when making most of the running and getting the job done in the style of a colt who had so much more under the bonnet. Out of a sister to Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), it's safe to say Acapulco Bay is smart. He could even be a Derby horse, for which he can be backed at odds of 33-1.

Scorthy Champ (Ire)

Mehmas (Ire) colt out of Fisaaha (Ire) (New Approach {Ire})

131

Joseph O'Brien

It might seem somewhat of a cop out to nominate a Group 1 winner as being under the radar but odds of 20-1 about the National Stakes hero winning the 2,000 Guineas would appear to underestimate him–especially in what looks an unusually open year. 

Let's be clear, there was no standout colt last year and this year's 2,000 Guineas is there for the taking. Scorthy Champ could represent some value. 

He doesn't seem to be getting the credit he deserves for that National Stakes success given the runner-up and odds-on favourite Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was wayward in the finish on the day. 

To be fair to Henri Matisse, he did not let the form down when landing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, and his National Stakes conqueror is becoming more and more of an enticing proposition with a view towards Newmarket

Paddy Twomey: has plenty to look forward to with Currawood | Tattersalls

Currawood (Ire)

Acclamation (GB) colt out of Mohassan (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire})

Form 322

Trainer Paddy Twomey

Things didn't go entirely to plan for Paddy Twomey last season yet a number of young horses shaped as though they could be smart and Currawood was one of those. 

Twomey sent out just 19 winners from 89 runners last year, which was his lowest tally since 2021, where he achieved the same number of wins from 63 runners. Last year's dip in numbers came from a greater pool of resources, which would suggest the year didn't go smoothly for whatever reason, and the trainer admitted as much in an interview with Racing TV during the year.

For that reason, Twomey could be sitting on a number of horses who either haven't run or haven't shown their full potential, and Currawood looks underestimated. Despite failing to win in three starts, the colt showed distinct promise, notably when chasing home 2,000 Guineas favourite The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in a 7f maiden at the Curragh. That form doesn't look too bad now given subsequent Group 3 scorer Ides Of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who holds a rating of 108, was back in third. 

Nor does Currawood's third and final start as a juvenile, where he went down fighting behind Antelope Canyon (Ire) (No Nay Never) over an inadequate 6f at Naas, with the front pair pulling well clear of the remainder. 

Off 95, Currawood could be well enough handicapped to run in something like a Madrid Handicap in the beginning of the season but it may be more Twomey's style to get a maiden win on the board and maybe even a rated race before tilting at pattern races later in the year.  

Likedbymike (Ire) 

Inns Of Court (Ire) filly out of Trisara (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus})

831

Michael Byrne

This filly is rapid. She improved on each of her three starts last year, getting the job done in impressive fashion when scoring by almost five lengths when dropped to the minimum trip in a maiden at Cork in October. That success provided her owner and trainer Michael Byrne with his first win since 2007 and, judging by the style it was achieved in, it definitely won't be his last. 

Likedbymike could be well-handicapped off a mark of 90 and she could even be up to making her mark at Listed level. Given how at home she seemed over the easy 5f at Cork, the Listed Polonia Stakes over the C&D would appear to be a good target for her to aim towards. She should develop into a smart sprinting filly this season.

Copacabana Sands (Ire)

Sands Of Mali (Fr) filly out of Buttonhole (GB) (Montjeu {Ire})

55839

Michael O'Callaghan

Of a similar ilk to Likedbymike but perhaps not as classy, Copacabana Sands will win races when she learns how to race properly. Despite doing plenty wrong in five starts at two, she showed enough promise–including when flashing home for third in the Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final over 7f at Naas–to suggest she is well-handicapped off 76. 

What's really interesting about Copacabana Sands is that she has joined trainer Michael O'Callaghan, who is one of the best in the business with sprinting types. 

While Copacabana Sands has been tried over the mile, it is over shorter where she can come into her own, and she may even be up to premier handicap level once she learns how to settle and race efficiently. 

Falling Snow (Ire)

Justify filly out of Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})

1

Donnacha O'Brien

Out of the 1,000 Guineas winner Winter, Falling Snow is bred to be smart and clearly is judging by her impressive debut success over 7f at the Curragh. A big, rangy daughter of Justify, Falling Snow came into that race off the back of a taking display in a barrier trial but it took a while for the penny to drop and she only got the better of Ballet Slippers (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) close to the line. Falling Snow is entitled to do much better as a three-year-old and it will be fascinating to track her progress. 

Powerful Nation (Ire)

Sioux Nation colt out of Atlantic Queen (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire})

212132

Andy Slattery

Ireland may not be renowned for its sprinters but Powerful Nation looks a colt to keep onside this season. He improved with each start last season, culminating with an excellent second when taking on older and hardened sprinters in the G3 Mercury Stakes at Dundalk. 

Powerful Nation could be deemed a shade unfortunate not to have landed that contest given he was short of room at a crucial stage and the margin of defeat was just a head at the winning line. Whatever way you slice it, he's an exciting sprinter in the making.

 

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