UNLESS Zagreb comes good at Leopardstown on Wednesday we forget about the home challenge in the Irish Derby at the end of the month. The much lauded Truth Or Dare was most disappointing in Saturday's Group Two Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh, won very easily by the Clive Brittain trained Needle Gun from compatriot Prince Of Andros, who was also runner-up in last year's corresponding race.
Needle Gun made all the running and quickened up nicely for Michael Roberts who returned last Tuesday from a three-month stint in Japan where he rode 13 winners. Strangely, the consistent six-year-old winner has now won only three races, the last over this course and distance in July when he beat Hushang narrowly in the Group Three Meld Stakes. However, by far the bulk of his £440,000 prize money was gained by being placed in several Group races throughout the world.
There are plenty of races left for Needle Gun, who took a long time to win his maiden he finished second in the St James's Palace Stakes. He's a very tough horse capable of testing any three-year-old.
Al Mohaajir and His Excellence, who ran the race of his life, dead-heated for third place and in a true run race they were followed home by Sheraka with Truth Or Dare, who never promised, finishing last but two in the eight-strong event. Humbel, who needs much further, was at the rear.
Not for the first time in his career John Oxx saddled the first three in a race with L'Opera going clear from over a furlong out to win the Larkspur Maiden from Grief and Ansias. However, connections and punters alike got it wrong as the first two were quite unfancied and Ansias, who started favourite, was really the first horse beaten.
Ridden by veteran Dermot Hogan, Sheikh Mohammed's winner, a newcomer by Old Vie, was with Henry Cecil last year, as indeed was Ansias.
There is surely not a more consistent flat horse in training than the seven-year-old The Bower, who came back from a mile and further to outsprint Don't Care and win the five furlongs Nijinsky Handicap in the hands of 8lb claiming apprentice John Mullins.
