Head To Head

(Aidan O’Brien)

Dundalk, September 27th

There was quite a taking performance from the Henry de Bromhead-trained Hollys Graces in a seven-furlong fillies’ maiden for two-year-olds at Dundalk last week, with the ready winner stepping forward nicely from the experience she gained in a barrier trial. This maiden could work out to be form of some substance, with the third-placed Say Yes To Dreams already second in a couple of maidens earlier in the summer. Runner-up Head To Head looks a likely maiden winner on the evidence of what she showed here on debut for Aidan O’Brien. There were signs of greenness, as she’d be entitled to be against more experienced rivals, and she’s bred to be useful too. The Wootton Bassett filly is out of Group 1-placed/Group 3-winning mare Coolmore, who herself is a sister to classic scorer Gleneagles, Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous, Prix de Diane heroine Joan Of Arc, Moyglare Stakes and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Happily and three other Group 1/Grade 1 seconds.

Aston Value

(Johnny Murtagh)

Curragh, September 28th

It’s difficult to say how strong the opening two-year-old maiden over six furlongs at the Curragh last Saturday was, with three of the first four home previously unraced, but there ought to be a race in the third-placed Aston Value somewhere along the way. The Zoustar gelding, who cost £72,000 as a yearling, didn’t run badly when third to a wide-margin winner over six furlongs at Cork earlier last month but this was a step forward while still looking like he’ll progress. Having got away well and raced close enough to the pace, he probably just got a little tapped for speed two furlongs from home. As per RaceiQ’s data, there were seven horses faster than him in the second last furlong, but he finished off well to be the third fastest (behind the eventual one-two) in the final furlong. He looks as though stepping up to seven furlongs is worth a try and his best siblings have form on the all-weather/quick turf, so perhaps Dundalk might be to his liking too.

Celtic Motif

(Joseph O’Brien)

Curragh, September 28th

For all that there was a useful winner of the Goffs Million in the shape of Apples And Bananas, it was a disappointing turnout for such strong prize money levels in both the main sales race and the Goffs 500 at the Curragh last Saturday. Nevertheless, it was a big effort in defeat in the Million from the third-placed Celtic Motif - hailing from the same stable as the winner. Last and unable to get a clear run until roughly a furlong and a half was left to run, the Saxon Warrior filly faced an impossible task but flew home faster than anything else in the final two furlongs, as per Coursetrack’s sectional times. She clocked 23.70 seconds in this closing portion of the race, notably quicker than the winner (24.32 seconds) and runner-up, Antelope Canyon (24.15 seconds). She’s winless in her first three starts but she shouldn’t have to wait long to improve that record if connections opt to run her again in a maiden this season.

Law Ella

(Gavin Cromwell)

Listowel, September 28th

Given she was returning from a 219-day absence, there was plenty to like about how Law Ella shaped in finishing second in the €50,000 Charlie Chute Memorial Handicap Chase on the final day of the Listowel Harvest Festival. The Gavin Cromwell-trained seven-year-old was set some blacktype assignments last season, and did run well when second to British raider Marsh Wren in listed company at Thurles on her previous outing last February, but she could be capable of popping up in a decent handicap this National Hunt season proper. She was nudged up 3lb to a mark of 133 after this performance, getting a little behind and finishing off stronger than anything else in the race in the final furlong. Her trainer has proven highly effective at making trips to Britain over the winter and she could be one to pick up a decent pot over there - possibly over three miles. She’d have a featherweight if getting in at the bottom of something like the Troytown Handicap Chase either, a race in which the stable were second in last year with another second-season chasing mare, Limerick Lace.

Vorfreude

(Joe Murphy)

Curragh, September 29th

It’s worth watching back the debut effort of Vorfreude at the Curragh last Sunday when fifth, beaten six and a half lengths, behind the useful Shackleton, who Aidan O’Brien suggested could be a candidate for the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. This €26,000 yearling wasn’t the quickest away and Gary Carroll gave him time to find his feet. The gelded son of Bated Breath ended up in last and still remained there until inside the final furlong in this 14-runner maiden. When receiving his first use of the stick, he looked green and shifted briefly but once the penny began to drop, he finished out in an eyecatching fashion. He passed all bar the first four home and was only a length and a half off being placed. He clocked the fastest sectionals of any horse in the race through the last two furlongs and looks bound to improve. All in all, it was a lovely introduction that he now has the chance to build on.

Heldtoransom

(Joseph O’Brien)

Curragh, September 29th

Depending on how his next run unfolds, there’s the potential for Heldtoransom to be an interesting nursery candidate for Joseph O’Brien. Third on his debut from off the pace in the Galway maiden won in ready fashion by Trinity College (not beaten far in fourth in the Beresford Stakes last weekend), he also got behind here and was last for the majority of this seven-furlong maiden. He never looked like laying a glove on the Ballydoyle-trained winner, Aftermath, but he did make some headway in the closing stages while still being educated between runners, beaten eight and a half lengths in seventh (of 14 runners). Out of a listed-placed sprinter who has yet to produce anything out of the ordinary, he might be one to watch for in a handicap after another run, should connections opt to go down that road. He looks a bit of a work in progress.

Dr Waksman

(Andy Oliver)

Curragh, September 29th

On paper, the concluding race contest at the Curragh last Sunday didn’t look the deepest of 10-furlong maidens run there this season, though 33/1 winner Belfrina showed a likeable attitude to open her account for John O’Donoghue. It will be well worth keeping an eye out for how the handicapper treats the fifth-placed Dr Waksman, who showed a good degree of promise on his third run for Andy Oliver. He showed little on his Navan debut and was tough to assess after getting behind next time at Gowran, but this was encouraging from the Shadwell-bred three-year-old. He again wasn’t the quickest into line here from stall 22 of 23 and still appears raw, but once he got going at the business end, the Iffraaj gelding really motored. He was beaten five and a quarter lengths, but only the winner was quicker than him through the final three furlongs. When he really gets the hang of racing efficiently, he’ll surely be up to winning races.

Desmond Castle

(Joseph O’Brien)

Curragh, September 29th

Having shown very little across his first four starts, albeit not disgraced two starts earlier in a Galway maiden won by Trinity College, Desmond Castle fired a real warning shot when runner-up on his nursery bow at the Curragh on Sunday. A brother to his owner and trainer’s recent Irish Champions Festival Group 3 winner Trustyourinstinct, the J.P. and Noreen McManus homebred looks to be learning with racing and finished with a rattle after getting behind runners here, only failing by half a length and outrunning his odds of 80/1 by some way. His rider Declan McDonogh also noted to the stewards that Desmond Castle ducked left inside the final furlong. The handicapper didn’t miss this, raising him 6lb to a mark of 78, but he’s bred to be a gradual improver and this run certainly suggested his career is on the right trajectory.