Million race change: Valentine Lamb reports that the Million two-year-old race at the Phoenix Park will be run at the Curragh from next year. 1990 will be the third year of the race, the Cartier Million, but this will be the last running under the Cartier sponsorship.
Lamb writes that Goffs chairman, Michael Dargan, is also Senior Steward of the Turf Club, but adds that Dargan did not involve himself in discussion on the matter, to avoid conflict of interest. The Managing Editor agrees that the wide Curragh track (which can take 30 runners for a seven furlong race) is arguably better than the Phoenix Park, which has a limit of 20 runners; but a far more pressing issue is the suspected closure of the Phoenix Park racecourse, which may happen at the end of this year.
Lamb writes: “The omens are not good with the owners intent on putting up the For Sale signs to property developers.”
The Million is a restricted race, so only horses sold at the special Goffs Million sale are eligible. Lamb also writes about an attempt by Tattersalls to hold a similar race at the Curragh, but this has been turned down by the Turf Club. Lamb’s piece concludes: “The Turf Club claims that it did not want to stage a race sponsored by a sales company based outside Ireland.”
The piece is accompanied by a Bob Fannin cartoon. This shows a phoenix bird, with a dagger piercing its heart. The handle of the dagger is titled “Goffs”, and the bird screeches: “Et tu Goffs!”
The Cartier sale also gets a mention in a short filler piece on the back page. Last Wednesday, at Ascot, the Carter Stakes sees the first win for a graduate of last year’s Million Sale. It is a colt, by Caerleon, named Generous, and he is trained by Paul Cole. Generous, out of Doff The Derby, is a half-brother to last Saturday’s Curragh winner, Wedding Bouquet.
O’Brien double: The Curragh stages racing on Saturday last, and the going is good. It’s a card with two significant Classic trials, and both are won by Vincent O’Brien, and both ridden by John Reid, who has a treble. But reporter Dave Baker is not greatly optimistic about the Classic prospects of both Ballydoyle candidates: “The opposition, in each case, was well removed from top class and the races can be discarded as genuine tests of the winners’ ability.”
Both classic trial races are over seven furlongs. Race two is the Athasi Stakes (Listed) over seven furlongs, and 13 go to post. It is won by Wedding Bouquet, a daughter of Kings Lake, trained by Vincent O’Brien and ridden by John Reid. The winner is 2/5 favourite, and wins by a neck from 8/1 second favourite Shagudine.
Six runners contest the Group 3 Dermot McCalmont Tetrarch Stakes, and this is won easily by Royal Academy, a son of Nijinsky, at 1/3. He and John Reid are three length winners from Gilt Note.
Reid’s treble is completed in the last race when Lepoushka, trained by Peter Hill, wins the Corrib Handicap at 20/1.
Another well-backed winner is Cheering News, evens favourite, who wins the Ballysax Race for the Moyglare/Weld/Kinane team. Jim Bolger and Christy Roche take the Derrinstown Sprint Series with Bufalino. Robert Sangster’s colours are victorious in the Mooresbridge Stakes thanks to Kostroma, trained by Tommy Stack and ridden by Stephen Craine. The opening juvenile maiden is won by the Aga Khan’s Harouniya, trained by John Oxx and ridden by Ron Quinton.
The Tote aggregate holds up well, and today is £111,204, about four thousand pounds higher than last year.
Kauntze dominates: The first evening meeting of the season is on Monday at Navan and the going is good to firm for a mixed card of seven races.
Trainer Michael Kauntze and rider Warren O’Connor share a double. They win division two of the three-year-old fillies maiden with Final Veil; and later they win the concluding mile handicap with Cry In The Dark. Jim Bolger and Christy Roche are back in the winners’ enclosure with Sweet Alma, who takes division one of the fillies maiden.
Over jumps, Charlie Swan wins the two mile three steeplechase on 2/1 favourite Graham Course; and Shane O’Donohoe wins the opening Blessington Opportunity Handicap Hurdle on Conors Lad at 14/1.
Race six is a two mile and three bumper, and this is won by Ermeshka, owned and trained by Joseph Crowley, and ridden by his daughter Annemarie.
Neville Ring is also at Navan, and mentions the Monday evening in his weekly column. The Tote turnover is £37,243; but Ring is interested to note that the total bet with the bookmakers is “something in the region of £450,000.” Ring adds that “there appeared to be larger queues at the Racing Board operated pensioners refund window than at the Computote windows.”
First jumps winner: The going remains good to firm at Navan for their Tuesday evening fixture, which again is a mixed card.
The biggest prize money this evening is the £4,832 on offer for race two, the Bank of Ireland 2-Y-O Series over six furlongs. There are seven runners, which is the smallest field tonight. The winner is Another Galaxy at 6/1, owned and trained by Michael Halford, and ridden by Warren O’Connor.
The five furlong maiden is won by Spy School, who is 4/5 favourite and makes all to win in the hands of Ron Quinton; Christy Roche has another winner as Super Flame wins the Long Field Maiden for trainer Joseph Canty; and Rattle And Hum and Richard Hughes win the Mellifont Handicap.
Over jumps, Miss Caroline Hutchinson has her first winner over obstacles when Gortalough wins the amateurs’ hurdle at 25/1, overturning 4/6 on favourite Bothar Na Speire. It’s mainly thanks to this pair that the Jackpot of £2,982 is not won.
The evening concludes with a bumper, and this is won by evens favourite Granville Again ridden by Mr John Berry. Reporter Dave Baker writes: “Granville Again looks to be a very useful sort.” The four-year-old son of Deep Run is trained by Henry Cleary.
Roche rides a treble: The Phoenix Park on Wednesday evening stages a card and Dave Baker describes the meeting as “surprisingly well attended.” The going is firm.
It’s a good evening for Christy Roche, who rides a treble – and the aggregate winning distance of the three winners is less than a length! Grand Morning wins the five furlong maiden; then Cielamour is a winning 7/4 favourite in the Listed Coral Stakes. The treble is completed later when Fairy Don wins the mile handicap.
Fairy Don is completing a double for her trainer, John Murphy. Earlier, Warren O’Connor rides Hazy Vision to take the opening mile apprentice handicap.
The feature race tonight is the Windfield EBF Minstrel Stakes, a Listed race over a mile, worth £12,332. The five runners are headed by Go And Go, who is 2/7 favourite; and the son of Be My Guest wins by half a length. Michael Kinane has some traffic problems but gets up to win on the line for Moyglare Stud Farm and Dermot Weld.
The last race is also a Listed event, the Topaz Sprint, and Sandhurst Goddess springs a 12/1 surprise to make all and win by three lengths. John Egan is on board the filly, who is trained by Dublin hotelier Noel O’Callaghan.
Swan eyes championship: Tipperary stages a mixed card on Thursday evening and the going is good. The largest prize money tonight is £2,762 for the Crescent EBF Race, and this is taken by Glowing Star, a four-year-old filly by Kalaglow. Stephen Craine is on board the winner who is trained by Joe Canty. Glowing Star is 11/2 second favourite and wins by three lengths from 1 /2 favourite Society Bay.
Society Bay’s jockey, Declan Gillespie, gets into the winners’ enclosure later when Spring Daffodil wins the seven furlong handicap. This promising three-year-old filly is trained by Austin Leahy.
The opening five furlong maiden sees a winner for Gabriel Curran, his first of the season, when Downeaster Alexa scores by two lengths. There is one race over obstacles, and Charlie Swan, virtually assured of his first National Hunt jockeys’ championship, takes his score to 66 for the season when Forgestown wins the novice chase.
The concluding bumper is won by 1/3 favourite Allegoric, trained by Jim Bolger, and ridden by Mr Aidan O’Brien.
Salsabil triumphs: Newmarket today hosts the 2000 Guineas. Irish Field contributors Neville Ring and Desmond Stoneham both select Machiavellian to win. Ian Carnaby admits that Machiavellian has the best two-year-old form and is the likely winner, but selects Sure Sharp, the mount of Steve Cauthen, as the best value bet.
Ian Carnaby reports from Newmarket on Thursday, where Salsabil wins the 1000 Guineas. Carnaby’s piece puts a bit more emphasis on her rider, Willie Carson, as it is a first 1000 Guineas win for the popular Scotsman. He has now won all five English Classics. But Salsabil is also gaining fans: “The way she stuck her neck out and edged clear up the hill brought roars of approval from those whose interests were not merely financial.”
Owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, Salsabil is a daughter of Sadler’s Wells. She is trained by John Dunlop. After the race, Carson says that Salsabil will stay a mile and a quarter, but is not sure that she will get a mile and a half.
Carnaby writes that “Carson has been a revelation again this season. More relaxed and informative these days, he remains a mighty difficult man to beat.”
The back page has a short piece about Kilcarn Stud’s Miss Pat O’Kelly, the breeder of Salsabil. The filly is a daughter of Flame Of Tara, who won the Athasi, Coronation and Pretty Polly Stakes. The Co Meath-based breeder says “I have been approached several times already to sell her to Arab interests, but she simply is not for sale. This is my life and I don’t see why I should let the best go.”
Salsabil cost 440,000 guineas as a yearling at the Highflyer sales at Newmarket.