The Pat Smullen Column: Stars of the Curragh

[Wandering Eyes]

We had a great weekend of racing at the Curragh.  Having the grand opening of the new stand made it a big day for Irish racing and it was great to see nearly all the investors there. Naming the stand after Highness the Aga Khan was a poignant gesture.  He’s been a big supporter of Irish racing for so many years and a big supporter of the Curragh so it was very fitting to honour him in this way.  It was great that he was there and looking so well, and I hope that he got great enjoyment out of seeing the facilities being opened. After his support and investment over the years it must have been hugely satisfying to see the redevelopment completed, not just for the Aga Khan but for all the investors who have played such an important part in the project.

I think we saw a big improvement from the first meeting staged at the Curragh. The management has learned from early issues and addressed any little problems that needed to be dealt with. This has been done very competently and the general consensus from practitioners and racegoers was that it was a huge improvement.

Magical moments to come
Alongside all of that it was a great meeting out on the track. The two Guineas were the two highlights but I thought Magical (Ire) put up another impressive performance in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. I know it was a very small field but we have to remember that she beat a Classic winner by seven lengths in the end. It was a tough race for her but she came out with flying colours again and it really whets the appetite for her meeting the likes of Enable (GB) and Sea Of Class (Ire) later in the year, wherever that may be.  She’s a filly who has improved significantly and we probably won’t even seen the best of her until the autumn. We were looking forward to Almond Eye (Jpn) coming for the Arc, but even though she’s now not coming we still have some serious contenders for the race and if they all make it there it could end up being a really strong renewal.

Aidan O’Brien of course went on to win the 1000 Guineas with Hermosa (Ire) and you just have to love her in every way. She looks so genuine and tries so hard, and she has a beautiful action.  As soon as Ryan Moore caught hold of her and gave her one tap she just put the race to bed. Obviously she is a dual Classic winner at a mile now but I think she might even improve going up to a mile and a quarter, so it will be interesting to see where they go with her. I’m sure the Prix de Diane is an option for her and she will be very difficult to beat at Chantilly.

Champagne for Charlie
While it was a good weekend for Ballydoyle, it was great to see Charlie Hills win the 2000 Guineas.  It was a very good performance by Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) and, like everything, it’s easy to be wise after the event but his form was rock solid and he didn’t have to improve a whole lot to take a hand. Clearly he did improve quite a bit over the winter and was a very impressive winner.

Jamie Spencer said that when he sat on him three weeks ago he didn’t sparkle in his work and they were then patient and gave him the time, which just goes to show how at this time of the year horses can come to themselves almost overnight.  They played the patient game with him and were rewarded tenfold, so full marks to Charlie and the team.

I must also congratulate Cathal Beale and the team for going in and managing to secure the stallion rights to Phoenix Of Spain for the Irish National Stud.  I think that’s probably the best bit of business that will be done all year and it’s great to think that we’re going to have a stallion of his quality standing right beside us here. This deal is very significant for breeders in Ireland and beyond, and it was great foresight on Cathal’s part. Let’s hope the horse goes on and wins more Group 1 races before the end of the year.

Jamie’s joy
Just as it is very difficult for an independent stud to acquire a commodity like Phoenix of Spain, it is equally difficult for jockeys to find those good horses to ride.  We all know how rare horses of this quality are so I was delighted to see Jamie Spencer on a very good horse again.  His talent certainly warrants him riding these good horses but in recent years they have been difficult to come by for him, as they are for most riders. He had an excellent day on Saturday, winning the Greenlands Stakes and then another Irish Classic. I was absolutely thrilled for him because he is a hugely talented rider and in recent years he hasn’t received the support that his ability warrants.  More importantly, it was great to see how much enjoyment he got from it.  It’s good to show the emotion of what it means to ride a very big winner.  Some jockeys are very fortunate that these big horses come along every year but for the majority of us they are very difficult to find and when they do come, it is important to show how appreciative you are of getting on these horses, and I think Jamie did that.

His brief retirement a few years back perhaps just showed the pressure people can be under when riding at this level. When Jamie lost the job with Qatar Racing I think he had just had enough. Maybe it was a knee jerk reaction to announce his retirement when that happened—I think he’d admit that himself—but it emphasised the pressure of jobs like that.  Thankfully, he quickly changed his mind and realised that it would have been a mistake to walk away from race riding that early. To me, he’s riding as well as I’ve ever seen him ride.

Testament of youth
One of the young riders that will be worth following is Andrew Slattery, who has just turned 18.  He had a fantastic weekend, riding three winners, including two for Dermot Weld on his first two rides for him. That is obviously a huge thing for any rider but especially for a seven-pound claimer to get the opportunity to ride for a powerful yard like that over Guineas weekend.

I’ve has some dealings with Andrew and he’s a hugely intelligent young man. His attitude is exactly what you need in a rider and he obviously has the ability.  He has a long way to go yet but he is level-headed and he knows he has to keep working hard.  I think the raw, natural talent is there and his three winners this weekend was not just a big achievement for him but also a good platform to set himself up for the rest of the season. His great advantage is that he is naturally light and he has no issues with the scales.  That’s going to stand him in good stead in the future.  He is also from a great racing family and has been well schooled. He is apprenticed to his father, also called Andrew, and is completing his Leaving Cert this year so he has a lot going on, but I’m glad that he is completing his education while still riding.  In times gone by we left school to pursue being a rider and it’s something that I deeply regret, not having had my full education. Andrew has a big future ahead of him.

Twomey’s two great runs
While we’re praising good results from the weekend we must also mention Paddy Twomey.  I don’t think Paddy has a huge string of horses and he’s currently running at a 25% strike-rate. To produce two horses at reasonably big prices to run third in two Classics is extraordinary.

The performances of Decrypt (GB) and Foxtrot Liv (GB) really showcased Paddy’s ability as a trainer but I’m not at all surprised because Paddy has had a very fruitful career in a short space of time.  He’s only a young man and he’s now concentrating on training but we have already seen him being successful as a pinhooker, a breeder and with breeze-up horses, so he is obviously not short of talent.

Now that he has turned his hand to training racehorses I think his business will grow, especially after what we saw at the weekend.  We all know how difficult it is to prepare horses and to get them there to compete at the highest level but for both of these horses to run such solid races was a very good performance from Paddy. He’s a trainer that people will certainly have their eye on from now on.

 

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