Five Things To Look Out For At The Curragh On Sunday

[Wandering Eyes]

Find out what trainer says their charge has been “prepared to perfection” for the Irish Lincolnshire

The Irish Flat season kicks off at the Curragh on Sunday and boy are we ready for it. The opening two-year-old maiden has been won by some top-notchers down through the years, including Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who went on to bag a breakthrough Group 1 success for the Amo Racing team. 

There is no shortage of intriguing runners in this year's race, with first-season sires Space Blues (Ire), Lucky Vega (Ire), Ubettabelieveit (Ire) and Supremacy (Ire) represented by their first Irish runners in the 5f contest. 

The feature race of the day is the €100,000 Irish Lincolnshire, where 2022 winner Raadobarg (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will be bidding to regain his crown. However, the task is far from a straightforward one, with Raphael Freire's charge coming up against younger gun Gleneagle Bay (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who according to his handler Stephen Thorne, has been “prepared to perfection” for the race.

Robson Aguiar Says Power Blue “Not Far Off” Previous Winners

Robson Aguiar | Tattersalls

Adrian Murray is bidding for his third successive victory in the opening Castle Star At Capital Stud Irish EBF Maiden [1.40] and the trainer's right-hand man Robson Aguiar revealed that Power Blue (Ire), the mount of David Egan, is likely the pick of the Mullingar-based handler's trio. 

Successful 12 months back with Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev) and in 2023 with Bucanero Fuerte, Murray is also represented by Leblon Beach (GB) and Stonezilian (Ire) in his quest for three-in-a-row. 

Aguiar commented, “Power Blue is a really nice horse. There is a lot of Dubawi (Ire) about him, which makes sense because he is a son of Space Blues and he is out of a Worthadd (Ire) mare. He's in good form and hopefully he will win the race. I think he is a good horse but sometimes they don't put their best foot forward on debut. If he puts his best foot forward, I think he will win.”

He added, “Leblon Beach is a nice filly as well and I think she will go close. She only cost £5,000 but I like her a lot. She's by Ubettabelieveit, who is by Kodiac (GB), and he won a Group 2 for Nigel Tinkler. The Kodiac cross with Dark Angel (Ire) works very well and we think she's nice. Stonezilian will run well and will get a nice education. I think Power Blue is not far off Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte.”

Meanwhile Lucky Vega, who is already up and running Down Under, will be represented by the Josh Halley-trained Zaltan (Ire). He was picked up for €37,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale and is set to be ridden by Seamie Heffernan on debut. 

Bolger And Coakley Bidding For Best Possible Start To New Alliance

There was a time when Jim Bolger farmed the opening two-year-old maiden of the year. His most recent success came in 2021 when Missing Matron (Ire) (Vocalised) made most of the running while Bolger also sent out high-profile horses like Dawn Approach (Ire) [in 2012] to success. The master of Coolcullen relies solely on Slaney View (Ire) in this year's contest, with the Mehmas (Ire) filly set to be partnered by Ross Coakley, who moved back home to Ireland from Britain to ride what Bolger says will be “a good few” of his horses this season. 

Bolger said, “I think our record in this race has been shattered in recent years! Slaney View will win her maiden anyway and sure if she wins on Sunday we'll take it. She's the first Mehmas we've run and I like her anyway. I mean, Mehmas has a great record, hasn't he? I'd be a fan of him.”

He added, “I'm on record as saying Dawn Approach was a cocky young fella who was starting to get above himself. I had intended to keep him for May and then look towards Royal Ascot but we needed to get his back down, and that's why we ran him on the opening day of the season. Sure, the rest is history. We won't have enough winners this season to justify having a number one jockey but Ross will ride a good few of ours.”

Thorne Says Gleneagle Bay 'Has Been Prepared To Perfection' For Irish Lincolnshire

Stephen Thorne: has a lot of confidence in Gleneagle Bay | Tattersalls

Stephen Thorne is not someone you would describe as a shrinking violet. But after sending out 15 winners since taking out his licence late last year, the trainer has plenty to shout about. The native of Dublin will be hoping to take out the biggest pot of his career on Sunday when Gleneagle Bay (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and Independent Expert (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) line out for the Irish Lincolnshire [3.45]–and Thorne is confident that the former can do the business. 

“I'm hoping that Gleneagle Bay is the one to beat on the form book but it's a big-field handicap and anything can happen. We booked Colin Keane for this two weeks ago. He rode the horse in a gallop at Leopardstown and seemed to be impressed by him. We have him prepared to perfection as far as I'm concerned. My only concern is the ground as he would prefer better going but I think he'll cope with conditions.

“Since we gave him a break over the winter, this horse has turned inside out and, even if he only reproduces his last run [when second in a C&D premier handicap in November] he should be in the shake-up. Independent Expert, who placed in an Irish Cambridgeshire, also worked at Leopardstown and she could be a nice addition to the team as well.”

O'Callaghan Has High Hopes For New Addition 

One of the more interesting three-year-old maidens in the country, Copacabana Sands (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}) makes her stable debut for Michael O'Callaghan in the 7f maiden [3.10] and ought to go close. 

Copacabana Sands posted an eye-catching effort when third in the valuable Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final for former handler Diego Dias and O'Callaghan says that he is looking forward to unleashing his new recruit on Sunday.

He said, “She's a nice filly who we happened to acquire in the spring. Her run at Naas caught my eye and I thought she might improve with experience and racing. When she matures and grows up a little, she might have a little bit of talent. Very happy with her since she has joined us and we're looking forward to starting her off. I think she'll run a nice race. I actually think she'll get a mile when she starts to relax and settle. She thinks she's a sprinter but I don't think she is.”

O'Callaghan operates a unique business model in that his 40-box yard is never full on the opening day of the season. Far from it, in fact. The Kildare-based trainer has proved to be a dab hand at sourcing quality stock from the breeze-ups sales and, while he admits to finding that market tougher and tougher to compete at, says he plans on restocking again at the upcoming sales.

He explained, “For a long time, I was able to identify the value to be gotten at the breeze-ups before the masses did. That has changed now and the value of breeze-up horses has soared. The business model might have to change a small bit–you need to evolve and change. Obviously the market has become extremely strong so, in order for me to still be able to compete in that market, I need to get good orders from owners.

“But the breeze-ups suit me because I am dictated by the level of stock I have on the team because it's very much a commercial operation that we run here. We own a lot of the horses ourselves. Your stock level dictates when you can buy horses and there have probably been years that I had stock left over in the autumn by the time the yearling sales were taking place so it didn't make sense for me to be going investing at those sales. When you cut your cloth to suit the business model, I suppose you do get labelled somewhat as a trainer, but I'd like to think I can train whatever I have. A case in point came last week when Positive Energy (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), a horse we sourced in an online sale, won his maiden hurdle at Navan for us. You're always trying to identify different angles as to where you can find value.”

O'Callaghan added, “There was a time when you could find a horse at the breeze-up sales that would win an Irish maiden for €50,000 but now that horse is making €150,000 or more. Then the breeze-up horses that look as though they could be Listed class or above, they are making €300,000 or more. The market has become harder to compete in but Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) only cost £28,000 and he won a Molecomb Stakes. Black Forza (Complexity) was not crazy expensive either at £220,000 and he won the Richmond Stakes. It is harder–because people have a lot more confidence in the breeze-ups and the pool of buyers is bigger–but it can still be done and we'll still be there this year. Somebody asked me the other day if I had any good two-year-olds and it made me think that I didn't have Steel Bull, Black Forza, Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) and any of those other good horses we sourced from the breeze-ups in my yard at this time of year so we won't panic yet anyway.”

Twomey's Admiral Churchill Should Be Too Strong

It's well-documented that Paddy Twomey puts a huge amount of emphasis on keeping his statistics high. In other words, he only runs them when he thinks they're going to win or at least go close to winning. Therefore, Twomey can be fancied to get the turf season up and running with a bang with Admiral Churchill (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) holding obvious claims in the 1m maiden [4.20]. 

Bought for €200,000 at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale last year, Admiral Churchill ran twice as a two-year-old, including when second in a 7f Galway maiden last July. He is fitted with the visor for his return and, despite the presence of former Cheltenham Champion Bumper winner A Dream To Share in the line-up, should take plenty of beating. 

Twomey said, “He's a nice horse who came from the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. He stepped up on his debut effort to finish a good second in a Galway maiden last year and we left him alone after that. After he finished second at Galway, and considering he had been through the whole breeze-up process, I just felt he had enough done. He's a fine horse and he's training well.”

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