Sea The Stars doubtful as rain hits the Curragh |
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Rain began to fall as post time for the Friday twilight card opener approached at the Curragh. From good, the going was changed to soft. Kingsport, Declan McDonogh up and the 100-30 second favourite, won the race for maidens over 1400 metres to get the ball rolling for the Irish Derby festival. I was watching the action at a Paddy Power shop in the Dublin town centre as ominous clouds gathered and delivered what is expected of them. In the second race, Cabaret, an Aidan O’Brien trainee ridden by John Murtagh, carried the public purse to victory. Then on, longshots had a field day. The fourth race feature, the 1200-metre Ballygallon Stud Stakes, provided a shock result. Long Lashes, trained by Jessica Harrington and a 25-1 outsider, humbled her more accomplished rivals. Long Lashes, a daughter of Rock Hard Ten, was ridden by the talented Fran Berry. Rock Hard Ten was in the mix in the American Triple Crown races in 2004 when Smarty Jones dominated the sophomore division. The horses were at the starting gate for the sixth race scheduled for 8 30 PM and the announcement came. Sea The Stars may not go in the Derby on Sunday. The course at the Curragh was turning soft and the fears that trainer John Oxx had been voicing all week long were coming true. The Met office had got it wrong. In a matter of moments, Paddy Power suspended betting for the Derby. I was in a Paddy Power store that was in its first day of business and I was given a free five-Euro bet on the Derby. At 9 30 PM, I found that Sea The Stars was trading at 2.5 as early as 8 30 PM in the exchange market. John Oxx made a statement. “We live and hope and we’ll delay the decision for a while. But if it is obvious during Saturday’s races that there is no way the ground is going to dry, we’ll try and make an earlier announcement.” As the status of Sea The Stars moved into the ‘doubtful’ category, Aidan O’Brien was firming up his plans for the Irish Classic. Seven runners from Ballydoyle were declared and the riding arrangements were revealed. John Murtagh took Fame And Glory. Seamie Heffernan, second in the jockey pecking order, will be aboard Masterofthehorse. Colm O’Donoghue will partner Golden Sword. The other O’Brien runners are Byzantine, Drumbeat, Hail Caesar and Rockhampton. That will give O’Brien seven runners in the 12-horse Derby lineup. Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son who began riding not too long ago, will be on Byzantine. The bookmakers reacted. Byzantine was offered at 500-1. John Oxx will be represented by Mourayan who will sport blinkers for the first time. Jim Bolger has left Gan Amhras in. Recharge, The Bull Hayes and Loch Long complete the Derby field. Aidan O’Brien commented. “It is difficult to say who has improved, who has stood still and who has regressed. We will find out on Sunday. Many of the questions that came up at Epsom will be answered at the Curragh.” In 2007, O’Brien saddled Soldier of Fortune who splashed to a runaway victory in the hands of Seamie Heffernan. It was Frozen Fire, a not so strongly fancied runner from Ballydoyle, who had the last laugh last year in an interference-marred race. Jockey Heffernan was aboard. Will it be three in a row for Seamie Heffernan? As I pointed out in the report on Friday, the Irish Derby will stay in Ireland. There are no runners from either England or France. The Irish three year-old division is ultra strong. I am hoping that rain will stay away and make way for race-worthy Saturday and Sunday. I am sure that the odds for Aidan O’Brien landing Sunday’s big race are prohibitive. On Saturday at the Curragh, the card gets under way at 2 10 PM. There are seven races and post time for the last event is 5 15 PM. There are 24 horses in the first race over 1400 metres. The favourite is listed at 8-1. The second race is for maidens and ten will go to the 1200-metre post. Fifteen run in the third, a handicap for fillies over 1400 metres. The favourite is quoted at 6-1. The fourth race is the Group I Pretty Polly. Seven fillies will answer the starter’s call. Look Here is the 13-8 favourite. The Ralph Beckett-trained four year-old, comes off a third place finish in the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Oaks day. The 11-4 second choice is Dar Re Mi, a John Gosden trainee. The winner gets 135,000 Euros. This is one big prize that an England-based filly is trying to win this weekend. In the fifth race at 4 15 PM, there are five running. Twelve go in the sixth, the Derby festival handicap over 2000 metres. Mick Kinane is aboard Ebashan, the favourite. In the last race, sixteen maidens will tackle 1600 metres. The Bussaras bus station is the nerve centre of the Dublin bus system. You can get a bus to anywhere in Ireland. There are ‘race specials’ on Saturday and Sunday to the Curragh. It is a trip that takes an hour. Bussaras is a 10-minute walk from the Ripley Court hotel where I am staying. The hotel staff has been extra kind. Recognizing that Friday was my birthday, I was given free internet access cards to cover my Dublin stay. A generous gesture indeed. Frank Ruane is the boss. Graniya and Ana are wonderful reception assistants. I am grateful to them. They are making my Dublin stay utterly enjoyable. In England, Newcastle hosts the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate, a Class II race with a winner’s prize of 110,970 pounds. There are 20 runners. Richard Hughes rides Judgethemoment, a Jane Chapple Hyam trainee, who won the Ascot Stakes on opening day at Royal Ascot. Judgethemoment seeks four wins in a row. The other favoured runner is the Walter Swinburn-trained Hendersyde who will have Shane Kelly aboard. The Northumberland Plate will be run over two miles and 19 yards. Saturday’s Scoop6 in the United Kingdom is likely to swell to a staggering 750,000 pounds. This is because of a carry over. Four races from Newcastle and two races from Newmarket will make up the six-race wager. In America, two Group races will be contested on Saturday. At Belmont Park, Rachel Alexandra is the hot favourite in the Mother Goose. It is over 1800 metres on the dirt track. The Medaglia d’Oro filly, winner of the Kentucky Oaks and the Preakness Stakes when beating the boys, goes for her seventh consecutive win. She is at 1-5 with Blue Square. She is bound to be at cramped odds in America as well. Rachel Alexandra has been ruled out of the Breeders’ Cup this November. Santa Anita’s pro ride surface has been cited as the reason. Calvin Borel will ride. Trainer Steve Asmussen has expressed satisfaction with his filly’s form. On the West Coast, another distaffer will hold center stage at Hollywood Park. Zenyatta, unbeaten in 10 career outings, will put her streak on the line in the Vanity Handicap. Mike Smith will ride the John Shirreffs-trained Zenyatta. The Vanity is over 1800 metres on the polytrack. Seven may oppose Zenyatta who will concede 13 to 16 pounds to her adversaries. Trainer Shirreffs spoke. “The more horses, the better. In a bigger field, she (Zenyatta) will be farther back and that will suit her. A strong pace is all she wants.” On Friday at Folkestone in England, in the first race, there was a 4-7 favorite. The horse’s name was George Baker. The trainer’s name was George Baker. The jockey’s name was George Baker. In a race at Royal Ascot, George Baker had acquiited himself well and had a lot less on the plate, The betting public was in for a rude shock. George Baker was nowhere to be found. In the next race at Folkestone, jockey George Baker was aboard Caribbean Coral, the 8-15 favorite who was going for three wins in a row. The 10 year-old Caribbean Coral raced off the pace and had every chance. When the heat was on, George Baker and Caribbean Coral floundered. Sweetheart was another favorite that lost with George Baker. The commentator had this to say, “it is not George Baker’s day.” It was not a day for punters as well. Jockey Darryll Holland has been riding a lot of winners. At Folkestone on Friday, Holland connected with two winners and invited the comment. “It is another splendid day in the office for Darryll Holland.” I will take a morning walk. After buying the Racing Post that costs 2.5 Euros, I will return to the hotel. I am looking forward to that sumptuous breakfast. I will get going by 10 30 AM. I want to be at the Curragh by 12 30 PM. I want to have enough time to see our Irish jockey friends. Curragh has a colorful betting ring. I have a wager or two on races from England and will use the Ladbrokes betting outlet in the Curragh grandstand. |
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