Sunday Leopardstown review including wins for Poetic Flare and Keeper Of Time
A review of the action from Leopardstown on Sunday including victory for Bolshoi Ballet in the Ballysax Stakes.
Ballysax glory for Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Ballet enhanced his Classic claims as he provided trainer Aidan O’Brien with an 11th victory in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.
The Ballydoyle handler saddled subsequent Epsom heroes Galileo and High Chaparral to land successive runnings of the Derby trial in 2001 and 2002, while four-time Gold Cup winner Yeats also features on the roll of honour.
O’Brien was doubly represented in this year’s renewal, with Dundalk maiden winner Lough Derg joined by stablemate Bolshoi Ballet – a winner at the track in the autumn before finishing fifth at Group One level in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
Ryan Moore kept things simple aboard the 2/1 favourite, allowing him to track the pacesetting Catena Zapata for much of the 10-furlong journey before taking over the lead two furlongs from home.
Lough Derg found a gap on the fence and briefly looked a threat, but Bolshoi Ballet hit the line strongly to score by just over two lengths. Lough Derg was run out of the places late on by Flying Visit and Taipan.
Coral make Bolshoi Ballet their 12/1 second-favourite for the Cazoo Derby at Epsom, with stable companion High Definition heading the market at 7/2.
O’Brien said: “You’d be delighted with him as he only ran on soft ground (last season) and will have learned a lot today. He’ll probably come back here for the Derrinstown if all goes well with him. He’s straightforward and, while you’re never sure, he should get a mile and a half. He goes to the line well.
“High Definition will go for one of the Derby trials. We didn’t want to give him two runs before the Derby, but we thought this horse would be able for two. He’s in full work and we’re very happy with him.”
O’Brien also had news on the Classic front of Santa Barbara, who has been all the rage for the Qipco 1000 Guineas in recent weeks after her trainer gave her a glowing report in a stable tour.
He said: “Santa Barbara is working very well. She’s going through her work in second gear with all the fillies.
“We were going to come here and then we said we’d go straight for the Guineas.
“It’s a big ask for a filly only after having one easy run in a maiden to go to the Guineas. She looks exceptional in her work, but she’ll be very green going to a Guineas. She’ll learn a lot either ways.”
Looking to the Newmarket meeting that starts on Tuesday, O’Brien added: “We might run Khartoum in the Craven on Thursday.”
Time takes 1,000 Guineas Trial
The Group Three Ballylinch Stud 'Priory Belle' 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes went the way of outsider Keeper Of Time (80/1), who held on by a head from the fast-finishing Mehnah.
The winning daughter of Mehmas had the benefit of a recent run, having finished fifth in the Madrid Handicap at the Curragh last month, and settled well in mid-pack as Empress Josephine and Allagar took the field along.
Mehnah (6/1) was way back in the field early on, having missed a beat from stall 11, and she seemingly used up too much gas to close on the leaders in the straight, ultimately just failing to overhaul Ronan Whelan on the John Feane-trained Keeper Of Time, who struck the front less than a furlong from the finish.
Sense Of Style was third at 66/1, with 20/1 chance Zaffy's Pride fourth.
The disappointment of the race was last year's Moyglare winner Shale (7/2 favourite) - trained by Donnacha O'Brien - who couldn't get competitive from a wide draw (10) under Ryan Moore and finished fifth.
On the back of the trial, Paddy Power clipped QIPCO 1000 Guineas favourite Santa Barbara to 2/1 from 5/2.
It was a first Group-race winner for Feane, who said: “Kevin Manning thought she ran a cracker in the Madrid at the Curragh. She’s toughed it out well today.
“Ronan gave her a lovely ride, settled her in and came with a run. We’re thrilled with her. The better ground helped – she wants good ground. She’s probably a filly that would suit America or somewhere like that.
“There were offers for her before, but there will probably be more on the table after this.”
He added: “We had a Listed winner last year, but that would be our biggest winner so far.”
Flare fires on seasonal return
Jim Bolger's Poetic Flare took the Ballylinch Stud "Red Rocks" 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes in the hands of Kevin Manning.
Snapraeterea took the field along at a decent gallop and Manning was never too far off the pace on the 3/1 chance, who took it up a furlong and a half from the finish.
He was going through the gears by that point and the son of Dawn Approach kept galloping to the line to score by in good style.
Ace Aussie came with a late run to be third at odds of 18/1, with Monaasib third at 11/2 and 150/1 outsider Notre Belle Bete back in fourth.
The Listed win provided Poetic Flare with a third career win from four starts, his only defeat coming when failing to fire behind St Mark's Basilica and company in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
Betfair and Paddy Power clipped the winner to 16/1 from 25s for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, with Sky Bet going 20/1 from 33s.
Bolger was represented by his daughter, Una Manning, who said: “I’m told he could go anywhere. He (Bolger) hasn’t decided which of the Guineas, but the two of them (Poetic Flare and Mac Swiney) won’t run in the same race. The boss is very happy with them.
“He hasn’t been away anywhere this year for a gallop so he’s absolutely delighted.
“We were confident he wouldn’t have any problems handling the ground. Last year we just had to play the cards we were dealt and he had to run on soft ground, but he’s not ground dependent.
“He’s in both Guineas along with Mac Swiney. We haven’t decided yet whether he’ll go to Newmarket or the Curragh.”
Rest of the meeting...
O'Brien and Moore completed a double on the day thanks to Sir Lamorak in the Leopardstown Handicap.
The 9/4 market leader was settled near the back of the field but bounded home in the straight to run out a three and three-quarter length winner from 11/1 chance Bear Story. Britzka was third at 40/1.
Successful at Dundalk a couple of weeks ago, the son of Camelot followed up in good style and, like Bolshoi Ballet, Sir Lamorak appears bound for a Derby trial.
O’Brien said: “We’re delighted with him. He had a few lovely runs last year and then in Dundalk this year it was a very slowly-run race and he was green. He had a nice gap from there to here and it worked out perfect for him.
“He’ll probably step up into one of the (Derby) trials next I would imagine. He settles well and is a real Camelot – he has that bit of brilliance that he can quicken."
The opening Leopardstown Maiden over a mile went the way of Jessica Harrington's Frankel colt O'Reilly, who for the better of HMS Seahorse in a good battle to the line.
There was half a length between them at the line, Shane Foley's mount edging out the Aidan O'Brien runner under Ryan Moore to score at odds of 85/40.
Kate Harrington, assistant to her mother, said: “He took a bit of a blow and there should be plenty of improvement to come.
“We had him in at Navan, but took him out because of the ground. He really appreciated that ground today.
“We’ll take baby steps with him and step him up to a mile and a quarter. In a better quality race he’ll travel well.”
Harrington and Foley doubled up on the well-backed 4/1 favourite Real Appeal in the Leopardstown Members Handicap.
He could be spotted smoothly behind runners on the turn in and once pulled out for a run the son of Sidestep flew home to win a shade cosily from Dream Today and Luke Short.
Ronan Whelan was back in the winner's circle on Dream Tale (6/1) in division one of the GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap, beating 7/1 chance Oneiroi by half a length in a tight finish which also involved Kosman and Sod's Law.
Division two of the GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap closed out the card and Akhlaaq (16/1) got the better of Pinpointed and Munfallet.
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