Racing:Sharestan could try his luck in Group company again after landing a Listed success at the Curragh. The four-year-old colt battled to victory over Defining Year in the Coolmore Stud China Ire. Friendship Silver Stakes despite trainer John Oxx feeling the heavy ground tested his stamina.
Defining Year made a brave bid to lead all the way and he had most of his rivals hard at work when the race hotted up two furlongs out. However, the lightly-raced Sharestan made his move under Niall McCullagh, who was replacing the suspended Johnny Murtagh.
The 8-11 favourite had to work pretty hard to gain the upper hand and take this Listed prize by half a length after finishing third in the Group Three Mooresbridge Stakes on his previous start. “It’s very gluey ground in the straight and it’s probably the limit of his stamina. Maybe he’ll be better coming back in distance,” Oxx said.
“He was suited maybe by the slow fractions of the race and just managed to grind it out. I’m not sure if it’s his ideal trip, but he’s done it quite well and is more versatile than I thought earlier in the year. I wouldn’t run him over a mile and a quarter again on testing ground. I think we’d wait for good ground over that trip.
“He had the rating to win there and he didn’t do anything spectacular to improve his rating. I’d like to think he might be better than 108, but he has to prove it, but I think there is plenty more to come from him and I think he could run well in better company. We might try a Group Three next time.”
Oxx and owner the Aga Khan completed a quick double when Vedani (9-1) made all to take the Kildare Village China Race Day Maiden to hold An Saincheann by a head. He said: “He stayed on well and got through the ground. He will like a mile and a half and a bit better ground.
“We will get a handicap mark for him now and see where we will go.”
Vedani’s rider Ben Curtis made it a brace of his own when steering the Andrew Tinkler-owned 2-1 favourite Ursa Major to victory for Tommy Carmody in the Chinese Irish Cultural Academy Handicap.
Gale Force Ten (7-2) stepped up on his Dundalk debut run to open his account in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. Third three weeks ago, the Aidan O’Brien-trained youngster showed the benefit of that outing with a professional performance to beat Leitir Mor by three-quarters of a length.
O’Brien senior said: “We are delighted. The ground was a big worry and I’m pleasantly surprised he went on it. We think he might be a Royal Ascot horse and we will look at the Windsor Castle or Norfolk Stakes now.”
Alsium (7-1) foiled a gamble on Cape Of Approval when proving a neck too good in The Irish Field Maiden for trainer Paul Deegan and jockey Chris Hayes. Deegan said: “We won’t be afraid to drop her back to five furlongs but we will see how she takes this race and how she is physically and mentally.”
Kateeva (14-1) struck for permit holder JP Fogarty and 5lb claimer Leigh Roche in the Connolly’s Red Mills China Partnership Handicap while Jim Bolger took the concluding Irish Stallions Farms EBF Fillies’ Handicap with Livia Galilei (11-4).