FRESH from a fruitful winter stint in Australia, Shane Foley hit the ground running to begin the 2025 Irish flat season with a first success in the €100,000 Nua Healthcare Irish Lincolnshire on Tony Martin’s Orandi.
Any number of runners held chances approaching the business end of the Curragh’s curtain-raising feature, and the 10/1 shot, flanked by Sheila Lavery’s Kortez Bay, drew clear when it mattered most. Foley was at his strongest on the Ted Murtagh and Bertie Hourihane-owned seven-year-old, who has proved an inspired purchase at just over €19,000 out of a French claimer in June 2022.
It was a fine training performance from Martin to have the soft-ground winner ready to deliver on the back of a 133-day break, beating Kortez Bay (16/1) by three-quarters of a length - with four and three-quarters of a length back to Smooth Tom (28/1) in third.
“We were fortunate to have a very good rider on the day and it all worked out,” said Martin. “He was always missing the break, and he rode him twice last year and was confident he would get him out sharp, which he did today. Originally, Wayne Hassett was to ride him and there were cross communications, which was unfortunate for him and fortunate for Foley. I thought 5lb would be a big help, but it worked out well.
“He did a sparkling bit of work at Leopardstown a few weeks ago. He does want a dig in it and that’s why he doesn’t run during the summer. He’s in the English Lincoln, but I doubt if he’ll run. He was ready to peak today.”
Versatile breeding
Foley was denied a double on the card when Dark Viper found Padraig Roche’s Back Down Under too strong in the six-furlong Nua Healthcare Handicap - continuing a fine weekend’s work for breeder Noreen McManus after a glorious Cheltenham Gold Cup success with Inothewayurthinkin.
Leigh Roche, carrying the colours of the Back Down Under Syndicate, caught the eye as looking particularly comfortable on the sweet-travelling four-year-old, and she picked up well to win by a pretty decisive half-length.
“She’s improved from last year,” said the winning trainer.
“I didn’t know if she wanted six or seven [furlongs], but six looked fine there. She’s versatile in terms of ground.
“A group of local lads [in the Back Down Under Syndicate] own her, they have her leased from J.P. [McManus], and he’s been kind enough to let us have her for another year. The lads get a great bit of sport out of her.”
Kid collects
In another of the handicaps on the card, the Download The Tote App Handicap over a mile, Goldrush Kid notched an overdue first success for Paddy and Dolores Magee, with the winning trainer tipping his cap to National Hunt rider, Eoin Walsh.
Ridden here by Jack Kearney, he had been well-backed into 6/1 (from 14/1) and built on some consistent flat runs from the previous season to deny Narlita by a head.
Magee said: “It’s nice to start the flat season on a good note. I have to give a good bit of credit to Eoin, who told me to put a tongue tie on him the last day at Fairyhouse when he ran over hurdles. Eoin felt he went really well to a point and took a big heave.
“We knew it wasn’t fitness and he’s not a horse who makes a noise, but it has turned him inside-out. He’ll go back over hurdles in time, and I think he’ll stay.”
MAIDENS on this card are often worth paying attention to, with the likes of French Oaks heroine Joan Of Arc winning here on route to classic glory recently, and there were some likeable performances on Sunday’s season-opening card.
The market was strong on the chances of Dermot Weld-trained newcomer Bint Queen Kindly (2/1 favourite) in the seven-furlong Alkumait At Capital Stud Fillies & Mares Maiden, and she didn’t disappoint in the colours of Jaber Abdullah.
By Night Of Thunder and out of the same owner’s Group 2 Lowther Stakes scorer Queen Kindly, the three-year-old is bred to be smart and struck by a length and a quarter under Chris Hayes.
“She’s potentially very talented - she had been working nicely and we’ll look for blacktype next,” Weld said of the Irish 1000 Guineas entrant. “I think you’ll see an even better performance on better ground. She quickened up nicely. Seven furlongs to a mile is fine; there’s a lot of speed in the family, and she has pace.”
Murphy’s Law
The significance of a first Curragh winner wasn’t lost on trainer Ciaran Murphy, who saddled Dupont Law to land the Bermingham Cameras Maiden in good style under Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Carrying the colours of William Drew and Partners, the 18/1 chance had bumped into listed and Group 3 winners when fourth in a Galway maiden on his only start at two. He pulled two lengths clear of 90-rated Ballydoyle colt First Wave here.
“He’s as nice a horse as we’ve had for a while,” said Murphy. “When I started training, it was one of my aims to have a winner here, so it means a lot. There’s still loads of improvement in him. Dylan said he feels like a proper one.”
JUST as it had been for the two previous renewals, the Adrian Murray team scooped the opening two-year-old maiden at the Curragh, this time with exciting Space Blues colt Power Blue at 5/2.
Bought for £44,000 from Manister House Stud at last year’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, the LNA Racing Syndicate-owned newcomer pulled three and three-quarters of a length clear of Jim Bolger’s 13/8 favourite Slaney View.
The mount of David Egan was following in the footsteps of high-class stablemates Bucanero Fuerte and Arizona Blaze by winning this race, and also became a first winner of his Godolphin sire.
Robson Aguiar, representing the Co Westmeath yard, said: “He’s a very nice horse and probably needs six furlongs. I think he’s got a lot of class, because he’s still a baby. He’s got a lot to improve on.”
Gabriella excels
There was a 25/1 upset in the other six-furlong maiden on the card, the Tote.ie Irish EBF Maiden for three-year-olds and upwards, as 10lb claimer Gabriella Hill delivered Glen To Glen to perfection in an opening-day victory for Jim Bolger.
The Dawn Approach home-bred had shaped well in fourth behind subsequent Irish Champions Festival winner Green Impact in a Leopardstown maiden when last seen in July 2024. He did enough to repel the late challenge of 6/4 favourite Mathan by a neck. Bolger said: “I thought six furlongs might be a little short for him, but he managed it well. He’s fairly straightforward, a suitable apprentice ride. She did it well. I don’t think better ground would be a problem for him either.”
Stephen Thorne savoured his first turf winner in the Nua Healthcare Handicap, when Curragh regular Laugh A Minute notched his fourth course win on his 31st track visit, the 10-year-old returning in excellent form off an attractive mark.
Chris Hayes, recording a double on the day, did the steering on the well-backed 18/5 winner. He beat Love Billy Boy by a neck for Shamrock Thoroughbreds, who turned out in force to welcome him. “He’s a marvellous horse, we knew there was plenty of life left in him,” said Thorne. “He dropped to a career low mark and we had him ready. He’s been a real flagship horse for Shamrock Thoroughbreds.”