Which One Of Aguiar’s Newcomers Is He Most Excited About And Who Are The Dangers?

[Wandering Eyes]

The Flat season kicks off in Ireland at the Curragh on Sunday and Brian Sheerin has spoken to some of the main protagonists ahead of the eagerly-anticipated fixture

Robson Aguiar has described himself as a big fan of first-season sire Persian Force and said he expects Force Noir to get the Tally-Ho Stud resident off to the best possible start with victory in the opening two-year-old maiden of the year at the Curragh on Sunday. 

Through his association with former licence holder Adrian Murray, the Brazilian native has dominated the past three runnings of the five-furlong maiden with Bucanero Fuerte, Arizona Blaze and Power Blue. 

Remarkably, all three of those colts went on to win Group races – with Group 1 scorer Power Blue firmly on course for this year's 2,000 Guineas – and Aguiar says that Force Noir, who leads the stable's four-pronged attack on this year's race, compares favourably with those recent winners. 

He said, “I think Force Noir is the best of mine. He should be very competitive if he can put in what he is showing us at home. Bull Shark (Mehmas), Ballinea Star (Space Blues) and What A Girl Wants (Persian Force) are really nice horses, but they will probably need the run. Force Noir is more forward than they are. He is the first choice. If the other three can learn something and progress, we will be happy.”

Force Noir was a €130,000 purchase by Amo Racing from Tally-Ho Stud at the Goffs Orby Sale last year. He is a half-brother to five individual winners and is widely expected to be sent off a warm order for the Topgear At Capital Stud Irish EBF Maiden at HQ on Sunday. 

Aguiar said, “I like the stallion, Persian Force. We have some nice ones by him. Even Force Noir, he is a nice horse, but I think he will have a lot more to give beyond Sunday. He could be a really nice horse later in the season – he's not just an early two-year-old. I have a very nice Persian Force colt that I will run in the Brocklesby and even What A Girl Wants, she should be a nice prospect, so I am very happy with the two-year-olds that I have by Persian Force. The ones I have, I really like them.”

Speaking about where Force Noir ranks with regards to the previous winners of this race, he added, “If Force Noir can improve like I think he can, well then he could have the same ability as Power Blue, Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte. At this point in their careers, he has the same ability, so hopefully he can progress like they did. All of my horses, they start off at only 70 or 80 per cent, so they always improve. Hopefully he can be a high-level horse.”

Aguiar will also be double-handed in the feature €100,000 Irish Lincolnshire with Tuscan Hills and Crypto Force. Meanwhile, the trainer provided an upbeat bulletin on Classic contenders Power Blue and Blanc De Blanc. 

“Tuscan Hills is not where I want him yet and he will improve a lot from the run,” he said. “Crypto Force is fit from running on the all-weather at Dundalk over the winter and he is a horse who has a lot of back-class and we've planned this race for him for a while.”

Aguiar added, “Power Blue is coming along nicely and he will run in a Guineas trial at Leopardstown next month. I am very happy with him and the plan will be to head to Newmarket. I'm not sure if Blanc De Blanc will need another run before the 1,000 Guineas or whether we go straight to Newmarket. I will make a decision closer to the time but she is very well and we are very happy with her.”

Murphy Thinks Blackbeard Newcomer Will “Grow A Leg” In Testing Conditions

Blackbeard

-conformation-shot.jpg" alt="" width="1155" height="840" /> Blackbeard: the sire of Danny Murphy's newcomer Equus Victor | Coolmore

Four brave souls will go toe-to-toe with Aguiar in the opening two-year-old maiden of the year. A daunting task, but Danny Murphy, who sends Equus Victor into battle, has never been one to shirk a challenge. 

And the Curragh-based handler is reasonably optimistic about his chances of causing an upset with what is set to be the first representation of dual Group 1-winning sire Blackbeard. 

“We're surrounded by Brazilians but he's a nice horse,” Murphy joked. “Now, he's out of a Fastnet Rock mare so he will probably want six or seven furlongs in time. But mine are normally sharp and Sunday's race could turn into a six-furlong race on that [heavy] ground.”

He added, “Stephen Hillen bred this horse and I met him at Willie Browne's 80th birthday party in the Cashel Palace the other night. I told Stephen that the horse was running on the opening day of the season and he said, 'sure he's a February foal and is a big hardy bugger, so why wouldn't you take your chance?' I have two Blackbeards. I like this fella – and I think he'll grow a leg on this ground – but I have a filly who runs at Dundalk next week and I think she'll nearly win. She's better than this lad.”

The opening juvenile race of the year evokes bittersweet memories for Mick Mulvany as it was in this contest 15 years ago when Tough As Nails, the best horse the trainer has ever had through his hands, was demoted to second after causing interference to the Jim Bolger-trained Whip Rule. 

Tough As Nails went on to win his maiden before filling the frame in a Group 1 and enjoying a productive spell at stud. Mulvany remains in search of a horse of similar ability and is not in a rush to anoint Lars Soldier (Soldier's Call) as his next stable star. 

“He's a grand little horse and he's ready to start but I'd say he could be up against it,” came the trainer's honest appraisal.

The opposition to Aguiar is completed by Daniel O'Sullivan's Lamar River (Invincible Army) and Ruler's Control (Territories), trained by Jack Foley, who opted against providing a pre-race comment when contacted. Could that be a tip in itself?

Slattery Exudes Confidence In Eastwatch

Eastwatch: favourite for the Irish Lincolnshire | Racingfotos.com

Trainer Andy Slattery is double-handed in the feature contest and will be hoping that Eastwatch (Make Believe) failing to sell at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale will work out to the stable's advantage this season.

Eastwatch has sat at the head of the ante-post betting for the valuable handicap ever since the race was first priced up. He is the stable's first string, with Andy Slattery jnr opting to ride the unexposed four-year-old over Highbury See See (Belardo), the mount of Wayne Lordan.

Slattery snr said, “Eastwatch is working well and he will love the ground. Everything has gone to plan – he's a mile-and-a-quarter horse but that's what you want to win an Irish Lincoln at this time of year. He's right up there with the best horses we have trained over this sort of trip. He's a big horse and he likes a bit of juice in the ground. He didn't get sold because there was a small vetting issue but he's a high-class horse to have in the yard and hopefully he can show that on Sunday. Highbury See See is in great form as well and seems to have improved from last year. He will love the ground and I am expecting a big run out of him as well. Eastwatch would be the number one, though.”

Slattery has gone from strength to strength over both codes in recent seasons and last season's tally of 32 winners on the level represented his greatest haul. 

He commented, “We had an unbelievable year last year and we were kind of waiting for it to taper off but it never did. We have a couple of really nice horses – the best bunch I'd say we've ever had.”

“He Hasn't Missed A Beat” – O'Callaghan Bids To Get New Season Off To A Flyer 

Michael O'Callaghan: aims to be quick out from the blocks at the Curragh | Tattersalls

Michael O'Callaghan could be a man worth following on the opening day of the season. Along with fielding Noli Timere (Starspangledbanner) and new recruit Tamam Desert (Sea The Moon) in the Irish Lincoln, the trainer has a host of big chances on the undercard, including the Colin Keane-ridden pair Breaking Dawn (Twilight Son) and Hassiniya (Sands Of Mali), who boast big chances in their respective maidens. 

Speaking about his Irish Lincoln challenge, O'Callaghan said, “Tamam Desert went through the ring and she interested us [bought for €41,000]. We thought her form was very good and she had a few little things that needed ironing out when she arrived. She seems to be training well and we're looking forward to getting her started. The race is obviously competitive but we just thought, off her mark [87], we could get her started here and see where we are at. We also run Noli Timere. She is good and forward and has been aimed at the race. She will like the ground. Both fillies are nice and could be up to a higher grade at some point this season. At this stage of the season, I'd probably prefer the chances of Noli Timere.”

Breaking Dawn, a likely favourite for the 6f maiden [2.00pm] and Hassaniya, who boasts strong claims in the 1m maiden contest [4.55pm], will be ridden by the recently-engaged and Cheltenham Festival-winning Keane. 

O'Callaghan put forward the latter as one he is quite excited about, and said, “Hassaniya is a lovely horse. He came home from the breeze-ups with sore shins and they niggled him for a while. He wasn't really a two-year-old type so, from the word go, we said we'd take our time with him, get one run into him towards the back end and look forward to this year with him, which is what we have done. He hasn't missed a beat and is in good form. The testing ground will be a bit of an unknown but he should be fine on it – the progeny of Sands Of Mali seem to handle testing ground – and he possibly will step out in trip as the season develops, so a still mile at the Curragh should be fine. He's one I am looking forward to.”

Few people are better versed in the progeny of Sands Of Mali. O'Callaghan nurtured the talents of one of the stallion's first big-name stars, Copacabana Sands, while his own Classic hopes for this season appear to be pinned on Bamako Beach (Sands Of Mali), who he also acquired from the breeze-up sphere. Copacabana Sands has been moved by her owner Barbara Keller to trainer Andrew Balding while Bamako Beach is on course to get his season underway in a Guineas trial at Leopardstown next month.

O'Callaghan concluded, “Bamako Beach is very exciting. He's ready to go but I don't want to bottom him out on heavy ground this early in the season. All of the bigger targets for him are in the spring and summer. He may run in a trial at Leopardstown and he has plenty of entries. He could go for the French 2,000 Guineas, the Irish 2,000 Guineas and even the German edition. He's done very well over the winter and we are looking forward to him.”

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