ACAPULCO BAY (IRE)

3yo b c (Dubawi-Je Ne Regretterien)

Aidan O’Brien

A colt from the family of Chicquita and Magic Wand, he caught everyone’s eye with his debut second placing at the Curragh over seven furlongs in August. Upped to a mile, he duly won his maiden well at the same track later that month. The speed figures experts were impressed, as was handicapper Mark Bird who also put him up a horse to follow earlier this year. (MC)

ELIZABETH JANE (IRE)

4yo ch f (Dubawi – Sapphire)

D.K. Weld

A year ago Elizabeth Jane was being touted by lots of people as a dark horse for the Irish Oaks. She had won her two-year-old maiden impressively at the backend and she was bred to be top-class. But the season didn’t quite go to plan. She didn’t reappear until June when (a drifter in the betting) she moved well in a listed race before fading in the late stages. She again caught the eye when fourth in the Irish Oaks – a huge effort on only her third start. The Moyglare Stud-sponsored Blandford Stakes looked the perfect spot for her but she ran no race there – the yard was out of form at the time. However, the season was saved when she ran out a really good winner of a 10-furlong listed race at Leopardstown in October. Hopefully connections get a clear run with her in 2025. (MC)

FALLING SNOW (IRE)

3yo gr f (Justify – Winter)

Donnacha O’Brien

Falling Snow first announced herself as an exciting prospect when the beautifully-bred grey won a barrier trial impressively at Dundalk. The Donnacha O’Brien-trained filly produced a game effort on her racecourse debut at the Curragh, joining an honour roll featuring A Lilac Rolla, Lady Kaya and Hydrangea. After the win, her trainer emphasised that she would be lightly-raced as a juvenile, with the tall, leggy filly expected to improve with time. The daughter of Justify is out of multiple Group 1 winner Winter, who took three starts to win her maiden as a two-year-old, but excelled the following season. (AL)

FREGADA (IRE)

3yo b f (Kodiac – Violet’s Gift)

J.J. Feane

Any Curragh maiden winner earns respect, and Fregada won hers in the style of a smart filly. She was last off the bridle and ran on well to beat the the favourite, Ballydoyle colt Bounty, by three parts of a length, with another three and a half lengths back to the third. The runner-up impressed next time out, before placing in a listed race at Doncaster. Johnny Feane backed up the impressive nature of Fregada’s performance by saying: “We had her in the Moyglare. She’s been galloping all over anything we have. She’s still a baby, bt once the penny drops with her and she gets a bit of racing, she’ll be really good.” (AL)

GREEK FLOWER (IRE)

6yo b m (Australia – Timeless Call)

J.J. Feane

This mare must be one of the unluckiest in training. She ‘won’ her side in the Rockingham Handicap, beaten by a filly who raced alone on the far rail. A month later she was second again in a big Curragh handicap sprint, and she continued to race with credit without getting her head in front. John Feane reports her to have strengthened over the winter and he is optimistic she can win a big one up the Curragh “when the pace is strong and they are fading a bit in the closing stages”. (MC)

KEKE (GB)

5yo b g (Dandy Man - Destieux)

Edward Lynam

Keke went from strength to strength last season, rising from a rating of 67 to 95, via four handicap wins, the latest of which came in the Joe McGrath Handicap. ‘Fast Eddie’s’ improver also finished fourth in the Bold Lad Handicap won by My Mate Alfie, who went on to win Group 3 and listed sprints on his next two starts.

After winning in September, Eddie Lynam stated that Keke will stick with valuable handicaps, rather than step up to stakes level. Given that he progressed with every run last year, further improvement isn’t unlikely on his new mark, and he’s one to follow in the big sprint handicaps in 2025, with one on every Classic weekend at the Curragh. (AL)