JOHN and Jodi O’Donoghue have taken over the yard formerly occupied by John Oxx at Currabeg. In their first season training they are already tasting success.

In April, the three-year-old Cailin Cliste didn’t have far to travel to cause something of an upset for the team at the Curragh, landing a handicap at odds of 25/1, and she was back there this week to finish second. Meanwhile, at Fairyhouse last weekend, John O’Donoghue saddled his first juvenile winner with Pearling Path, the son of Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) putting a debut run to good use when taking the six-furlong contest won 12 months ago by Velocidad, winner of the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes next time out.

Pearling Path races in the silks of Fawzi Nass, the Bahraini-based owner and trainer, and was purchased for him by Oliver St Lawrence as a yearling at the Goffs UK Premier Sale last year for £80,000. After his win at Fairyhouse, John O’Donoghue said: “We were a bit disappointed on his debut and we were looking for quicker ground, which we got today. He’s in the Railway Stakes, so we’ll see what everyone wants to do and take it from there.”

On pedigree, Pearling Path is bred to be a stakes horse. Fair Salinia Ltd is listed as the breeder of the colt who was sold through James Hanly’s Ballyhimikin Stud. He is the second foal, and first to win, for the stakes-placed Sacrifice My Soul (Nayef). She won twice in Germany, though not until she was four, and her 10 placed efforts included being runner-up, beaten only a head, in a listed race at Saint-Cloud. Sacrifice My Soul has a yearling colt by Gleneagles (Galileo), while this spring she foaled a filly by Night Of Thunder (Shamardal).

Worthwhile effort

The efforts to gain blacktype with Sacrifice My Soul, who raced 20 times and ran in three countries, were worthwhile, given her own pedigree. She is one of 10 winners out of the four-year-old winner Via Saleria (Arazi), three of which are worth a mention.

I’m Your Man (Cape Cross) was a listed winner in France before his move to Australia, and there he won the Group 1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick and was placed a few times at that level. His half-sister Perfect Hedge (Unfuwain) was a listed winner in Ireland, incidentally for John Oxx, while in France she was a Group 3 winner for Nicolas Clement and placed in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary.

Perfect Hedge was born a year after her full-brother Hoo La Baloo (Unfuwain), and what a racing life he had. A two-year-old winner in Denmark, he won three times over jumps in France, moved to England where his seven chasing victories included the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Sandown, and ended his long career with a point-to-point success at the age of 10.

Pearling Path has the distinction also of being the first juvenile winner of 2022 for Holy Roman Emperor, successful himself at that age in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. The Coolmore stalwart is responsible for 14 Group 1 winners, including household names Romanised, Designs On Rome, Mongolian Khan, Rich Tapestry and Homecoming Queen.