GER Lyons was all smiles after Babouche (5/2) returned the trainer to Group 1-winning ways in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, four years after he, Colin Keane and Juddmonte Farms landed the race with Siskin.
The homebred daughter of Kodiac came into Saturday’s feature having won both of her starts, but faced a formidable foe in Aidan O’Brien’s Group 2 winner Whistlejacket (8/13 favourite), and the colt set a strong pace alongside Adrian Murray’s Arizona Blaze (16/1).
Keane positioned Babouche in third, asking her to quicken two furlongs from home and led a furlong later. She kept on strongly to beat the favourite by a length and a half, with another length and three quarters back to Arizona Blaze.
After earmarking the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes as Babouche’s next target, Lyons said: “Lads talk about Group 1’s and that Irish racing’s in a poor state because of Group 1’s (going abroad). These horses are hard to find, you know?
“The whole thing about winning the Group 1’s is sourcing the horse - there’s only one outfit on the planet who can source the horse consistently, and that’s Aidan’s (O’Brien). But when the rest of us get the chance, we can do it.”
Worth the wait
“I know we have some nice two-year-olds this year,” Lyons continued. “These horses come along seldomly, but when they do, they’re worth the wait.”
Lyons enjoyed a double on the card when Quadruple landed the finale, the La Celia Wines Handicap over a mile. Another Juddmonte homebred partnered by Keane, Quadruple was recording a second win from her last three starts, having been beaten just a nose between wins.
“We’ve had worse days in the office!” said Lyons after the finale. “This one is on the improve. I can’t wait to keep stepping her up in trip and I think next year could be a nice year for her.”
“I JUST love this horse; he shows guts and determination,” Kate Harrington said after Givemethebeatboys (6/1) bounced back to form in the Group 3 FBD Hotel and Resorts Heritage Hotel Phoenix Sprint Stakes.
Jessica Harrington’s charge rallied under Shane Foley to win by a head, as the progressive Kind Of Blue (11/4 favourite) went close to providing James Fanshawe with his second success after Deacon Blues in 2011. The Ger Lyons-trained My Mate Alfie (14/1) finished another half a length back in third.
Assistant trainer Kate went on to reveal the reason for a disappointing run at Royal Ascot last time out, where the three-year-old finished last of 14 in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, despite being sent off joint second-favourite at 4/1.
“We ran the bloods when he got home from Ascot and they were all over the shop,” she said. “The vets checked him over, and then suddenly, on Sunday morning, an abscess the size of a golf ball on the inside of his lip burst out. We had to do a standing local anesthetic, just to clear it all out. It was pretty nasty and would have definitely been annoying him.”
Kate added that the timing of the win was particularly poignant, as the Sands family (Bronsan Racing) had suffered a bereavement during the week. “The funeral was today, so it’s a nice pick-me-up for them,” she said.
The Sands family own the son of Bungle Inthejungle with the Marnane family, having purchased a majority share for £1.1million following his Marble Hill Stakes victory.
Con Marnane’s €11,000 yearling buy has finished out of the first four just once in his career and will now be aimed at the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Trophy.
THE first three winners on the card all carried the colours of Coolmore partners and are each set for a step up in class next time. First to oblige was Delacroix (2/5 favourite) in the Trainor Stone And Tile Irish EBF Maiden over seven furlongs, a race won by subsequent Group 1 winners Al Riffa and Thunder Moon in recent years.
Runner-up on debut at Leopardstown, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt broke smartly and made all under Ryan Moore, who pushed him out to beat promising stablemate Acapulco Bay (6/1) by a length and three quarters.
“He’ll come forward plenty from that,” commented O’Brien. “He’s going to be a lovely middle distance horse next year.” The son of Dubawi is bred to be special, being out of six-time Grade 1 winner Tepin, who fetched $8million at the end of her racing career. Ides Of March led home a 1-2 for Ballydoyle in the following Revamp Conservation And Restoration Irish EBF Maiden over six furlongs, where he made all to easily justify even-money favouritism by three lengths.
“Ryan said he feels like he could be a group sprinter,” said O’Brien. “He’s big and he’s fast, and obviously he’ll make a three-year-old as well.” The Group 1 Middle Park Stakes is now on the agenda for the Wootton Bassett colt, with the Round Tower Stakes a possibility before then.
Snow in summer
O’Brien looked likely to take the next with Ballet Slippers (8/13 favourite), but his son Donnacha had the final say in the ARC American Racing Channel Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile Race, as Falling Snow got up to lead by a neck on the line. The pair both shaped like classy prospects, having rallied five lengths clear of the remainder in a race previously won by the likes of Hydrangea, Lady Kaya and A Lilac Rolla.
The winner, an imposing grey like her top-class dam Winter, had previously impressed in a barrier trial at Dundalk. “She’s big and rangy, so she’s a filly who won’t be seen to her best until next year,” the youngest of the O’Brien’s commented.
“She did everything well, she battled, and she pricked her ears on the line. I always had it in mind that she’d only run twice this year, and she’ll probably go for a group race over a mile next, possibly the Staffordstown.”
BOLD Optimist (5/1) provided 22-year-old Danny McLoughlin with his third success as a trainer, and a first at the Curragh, when striking late under Ben Coen in the Holden Plant Rentals Handicap over the minimum trip.
Fifth in the Rockingham earlier this season, the Chris Mullins-owned four-year-old has now earned himself a trip to York’s Ebor meeting. “He’s in a £120,000 sprint at York in 11 days and I’d say the owner will want to go there,” said McLoughlin.
The trainer may also break new ground on September 1st, as he considers the Group 3 Fairy Bridge Stakes for Duckadilly, who had Quadruple behind her when making a winning debut at Naas.
“I’ll be taking a chance going there without much experience, but I like her,” he said. “We don’t know what a Group 3 horse is like- we’ve never had one!”
Keke continues winning run
A Curragh winner never gets old, as Eddie Lynam noted after Keke (9/1) completed a hat-trick of wins in the Sheehy Motors CUPRA Handicap under James Ryan.
“We’ve been hitting the bar with a good few seconds at the Curragh this year, so it’s nice to get a winner,” Lynam said. “It’s my favourite track.”
“I’ve been training for Andrew Cohen for a good while now,” Lynam continued. “We’ve had a bit of luck together; won the Breeders’ Stakes for him here back in the day. This is the only one he has with me now, but it’s been a lucky one.”