Leopardtown Offers First Classic Clues

[Wandering Eyes]

In the shadow of the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, Europe’s Flat turf season enjoys its first significant moment of 2019 with a trio of Classic trials at Leopardstown. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s unbeaten Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) reappears in the Listed Ballylinch Stud ‘Red Rocks’ 2,000 Guineas Trial S., Chantal Regalado Gonzalez’s G1 Fillies’ Mile heroine Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) is in the line-up for the G3 Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ 1,000 Guineas Trial S. and there is also the G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax S. for the Derby hopefuls to take that vital first step towards Epsom.

Trainer Kevin Prendergast is keen to get Madhmoon back to the races after the homebred created such a strong impression when beating Ballydoyle’s Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the G2 Golden Fleece S., or G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. on Irish Champions Day here in September. He enjoyed a gallop at Naas to put him right for this reintroduction.

“We were happy with him at Naas last week and he’s been grand since, there’s not a bother on him,” he said. “He is ready to get started. He has been to Naas and we’ve our own grass gallop ourselves, so he has done plenty. We’ve had no hold-ups with him and everything is good. We’re looking forward to getting him started and then we’ll know where we are going.”

With Aidan O’Brien sidestepping the trial he won last year with Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) with his big two Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), the Ballydoyle representation has lost much caste and Ryan Moore is on the Madrid H. winner Never No More (Ire) (No Nay Never). Moore also rides the stable’s Zagitova (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 1000 Trial, but she needs to find something on even her best piece of juvenile form which came when third in the G2 Debutante S. at The Curragh in August. She has over 14 lengths to make up on Iridessa after finishing fifth in the Fillies’ Mile and the latter’s trainer Joseph O’Brien is excited about unleashing her again. “Iridessa has wintered well and we are looking forward to getting her started for the year,” he commented. “It will be lovely, safe ground, a good track and it will be nice to get her started. It will be a big enough ask for her with a [three-pound] penalty and she will probably come forward for her first run, but she is very exciting and we are really looking forward to the year ahead.”

The Ballysax sees Moore picking Broome, who followed his second to Madhmoon with the same placing behind Royal Marine (Ire) (Raven’s Pass) in Longchamp’s G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day. Aidan O’Brien has won this eight times, while Jim Bolger has seven to his name. The master of Coolcullen relies on the G3 Eyrefield S. scorer Guaranteed (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) this time, while Dermot Weld saddles an intriguing contender in Khalid Abdullah’s impressive Gowran Park mile maiden winner Tankerville (Kitten’s Joy). Weld’s 3-year-olds are flying in this still-early stage of the season and a win for the homebred would see him enter the Derby picture at centre stage.

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