Madhmoon To Drop Back In Trip

[Wandering Eyes]

G1 Investec Derby runner-up Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) is set for a mid-season break followed by a drop in trip after running fourth in last weekend’s G1 Irish Derby. Madhmoon sat midpack and well off the runaway leaders Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Norway (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Irish Derby but never made a serious bid.

“We don’t really know what to make of the Irish Derby,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to owner/breeder Sheikh Hamdan. “There’s no question we’ll now bring him back in trip. At no stage was I convinced he was a mile-and-a-half horse. I can’t say he didn’t stay it because he finished second in the Derby, but I think he’ll be more effective over a mile and a quarter.

“It was a non-event for us,” Gold said of the Irish Derby. “The plan was to try to track Ryan [Moore on Anthony Van Dyck] and try to quicken past him, but Chris [Hayes] said Ryan never took him into the race and we couldn’t get past him in any case.

“While Anthony Van Dyck did run on into second, he never travelled especially well and Broome was always out the back, so maybe they were all a bit flat after Epsom–who knows? Our horse doesn’t look a stayer, he’s not bred to be one and will certainly be coming back to a mile and a quarter. Maybe when he’s matured, he might even drop back to a mile one day.”

Gold said the key later-season target for the Kevin Prendergast trainee will be the G1 Irish Champion S.

“He needs a break, he’s had a hard time,” Gold said. “The obvious target has always been the Irish Champion S. Whether he has a run before I couldn’t say, but I saw him on Tuesday and he looked fresh considering what he’s been through.”

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