Fran Berry column ahead of Ayr Gold Cup day
Fran Berry reflects on a special day at the Curragh before previewing this weekend's key racing action.
The Pat Smullen charity race was obviously a personal highlight of what was a brilliant Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown and the Curragh.
It was very, very special - you had to be there to believe the atmosphere in truth. The weather got quite bad at the time of the race but that didn’t stop the crowds and I counted 10 or 12 deep around the parade ring as the riders assembled.
The effort that went into the race, the jockeys that were involved and to see Pat there on the day too, was all just really special. It’ll live long in my memory and I won’t be alone on that score.
Myself and Kevin O’Ryan are good friends of Pat’s and it was a privilege to speak to him on RTV before the race itself.
It really touched a lot of people and the fund-raising effort was phenomenal – the last I heard they topped two and a half million. I find it hard to put into words what it meant.
AP winning the race was possibly the least surprising thing to happen on the day! We flagged up Quizical in last week’s column and it was typical of McCoy to jump out, make the running and just keep finding more.
He’s got to work on his Frankie flying dismount a bit if he’s going to ever attempt that again but otherwise it was fantastic.
I was really impressed with Magical in the big middle-distance Group One, the Irish Champion Stakes. She was in top form and Ryan controlled the race – when he kicked it was all over.
Iridessa landed the Matron Stakes and she was a great winner for Joseph O’Brien, showing her versatility in the process. She got a strong gallop to aim at as Hermosa and Laurens got racing quite early so that helped her as she’s a proven stayer.
With hindsight Hermosa might have lasted home on another day and she’s maybe the one to take from it now she’s back on song after the disappointing Nassau run.
Space Traveller is well worth a mention following his improved effort to win the Boomerang Stakes too. He was very, very good on the day to come widest of all and get up to beat Matterhorn in a tight finish.
This mile is probably his right trip now following a creditable effort in defeat over slightly further at York and it’s no surprise to hear connections now aiming towards Santa Anita and the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Pinatubo was superb in the National Stakes on the Sunday. It was amazing, when you consider he beat a Group Two winner nine lengths.
The way he lengthened in the last couple of furlongs was awesome and the horse got lower and lower the faster he got going. His temperament is unbelievable too as he took it all in so well in the preliminaries.
He’s improved physically all year and while he hasn’t grown much, Shamardal’s progeny aren’t known for being overly big. Everything is in the right place and as things stand he’ll have to win the Guineas if he stays as he is.
Sunday’s Irish St. Leger was a really deep edition of the race and you have to give Search For A Song and Chris Hayes all the credit. She made up ground at a crucial stage and, after not going too hard in front, was able to kick and then hold off the closers.
Kew Gardens was among them and you’ve got to mark up his effort and he was just a touch flat-footed as the pace increased. He flew home and looks made for a step up to two miles now.
I imagine we’ll see him over that trip at Ascot on Champions Day providing the ground isn’t heavy.
Fairyland came good in the Flying Five Stakes and in fairness we’ve been waiting for her to pop up in this column all season. She’s a very likeable filly and she was tough on the day.
Getting back on some decent ground after the Haydock run clearly suited her and she’s only a three-year-old, remember, so it’ll be interesting to see if they keep her in training.
Love won the Moyglare Stud Stakes and looked fantastic in the ring beforehand. She quickened up and was quite a cosy winner in the last 100 yards, beating the Albany winner.
She’s a leading 1000 Guineas prospect a the moment.
Albigna was just a little fresh and keen early on so I wouldn’t rule her out going forward.
Tudor City is one to take from the handicaps and he’s one plenty of people will be familiar with from his exploits over hurdles and on the Flat, on both sides of the Irish Sea.
He didn’t get the best of runs at a vital time and over a mile and a quarter things happen too quickly for him. Back to a mile and a half Tony Martin could find a nice race for him.
The Curragh’s had a bit of a troubled passage this year but there was a real feel-good factor over the weekend and hopefully that will set the venue up and set this event up for years to come.
Pat’s story and everything that happened on Sunday really restored your faith in humanity and in the racing community as a whole.
Around the grounds on Saturday
It might not be a stellar Saturday this weekend but I'm keen on a few across several tracks so will kick off with Gowran's Group Three Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes.
It's a full field as you'd expect at this time of year with Henry Candy sending one over as well as Roger Varian.
It could pay to focus on the Aidan O'Brien duo, though, with Credenza preferred to Frosty. She ran really well last weekend in the Blanford Stakes whereas Frosty was a bit disappointing at York.
Gowran suits front-runners and she's been running consistently well, the latest effort behind Tarnawa could look very good in hindsight with the winner now heading for QIPCO British Champions Day.
The Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes (formerly the Arc Trial) looks a decent opportunity for Desert Encounter but he's possibly not the kind of horse to row in with at a skinny price and I prefer Waldstern for John Gosden and Rab Havlin.
He looked to turn a corner when winning at Newmarket last time and had possibly been finding the proper summer ground a bit too quick previously. He's one to note for the autumn anyway and he looks a fair price here getting a good chunk of weight from the favourite.
Mystery Power sets a decent standard in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes, while Pierre Lapin was good first time out and it looks significant Roger Varian pitches him into this Group Two.
My suggestion, though, would be Malotru for Marco Botti. I thought he ran a bit better than the bare form when fourth in the Gimcrack and the winner has since won the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster.
There's a decent alternative to be had in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap with Forest Of Dean taking up most of the market following his York defeat of Johnny Drama.
You'd have to respect the Gosden horse under the 5lb penalty but I'm still more than a little interested in Gibbs Hill who looks a super price. He drops right back in distance and might just be suited by that move having travelled well through the race at Kempton at the start of the month, as well as at York prior to that.
There's a big one to be won with him soon.
At Newmarket, Ginger Fox makes plenty of appeal under a top Irish amateur for Ian Williams in the Heath Court Hotel Amateur Riders' Cambridgeshire, while Land Of Oz could still be ahead of the handicapper in the Heath Court Hotel Cesarewitch Trial Handicap.
Next stop Ayr and while I'd love to see Kynren win the William Hill Foundation: Uniting Against Dementia Handicap for connections he doesn't hold any secrets off a mark of 101.
Preference would be Gulf Of Poets for Mick Easterby as he's a good horse on his day and rates a fair each-way play.
Ayr looks to be playing quite fair all across the track so hopefully there aren't too many hard luck stories in the Silver and Gold Cup.
In the former I've got to roll the dice again with Golden Apollo who has been knocking on the door and remains perfectly well handicapped on his best form.
Venturous was drawn in stall one at the Curragh last week and could be worth another chance having not been disgraced in the big race won by Buffer Zone.
Ger Lyons' horse is definitely the one to beat in the Ayr Gold Cup but the two I'd put up as each-way alternatives are Arecibo and Gunmetal.
Arecibo is classy and although he doesn't win often he certainly promises to land on a race of this nature before the year is out.
It looks a good pointer that Danny Tudhope sticks with him despite the strength of the O'Meara team while Oisin Murphy is on Gunmetal and he'd have had a few decisions to make no doubt too.
The unseasonably dry ground should also play to the strengths of David Barron's grey.
Good luck with your own weekend selections and I'll be back next week to try and solve the puzzle that is the Cambridgeshire!
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