DERMOT WELD’S decision to bypass some international Group One targets with Casual Conquest and Famous Name paid off in style at the Curragh yesterday as both odds-on shots won at their local track.
Casual Conquest secured another Group Two prize when he landed the Royal Whip Stakes by over a length from Curtain Call.
However, after taking him out of tomorrow’s Juddmonte at York, Weld now has a series of transatlantic Group One options for the colt.
Immediately after yesterday’s performance, some firms cut Casual Conquest’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe odds to 20 to 1. The trainer also nominated next month’s Irish Champion Stakes as a possible aim.
But also in his calculations are a number of top-flight races in North America, including the Canadian International at Woodbine in Toronto on October 17th.
“He now has two Group Twos to add to his Group One and we will have to reflect before deciding where we go next,” Weld said.
“The Irish Champion is the most likely port of call, but there are American options too. The second there is a decent horse, but the ground wasn’t as bad as we feared and our fella got through it,” he added.
Famous Name was more impressive when turning the Group Three Desmond Stakes into a four-and-a-half length cakewalk from Three Rocks, justifying Weld’s decision to avoid a Prix Jacques Le Marois clash with Goldikova yesterday.
“He has had a very consistent year and the Prix du Moulin is an obvious possibility for him now,” the local trainer said. “It looks like we made the right calls by not going to York, and Goldikova was impressive at Deauville. But there’ll be a day when we meet her.”
A €6,700 gamble to supplement Girouette into the Group Three Patrick O’Leary Phoenix Sprint paid off in style for the Tracey Collins-Pat Shanahan team as the filly just held off Perfect Polly in a thrilling finish.
“I thought she was beaten on the line,” admitted Shanahan, but Collins added: “That was a top-drawer ride. I don’t think anyone else could have won on her because Pat knows her so well. She has had her problems and can’t be disappointed. That was a masterful ride.”
Girouette is now likely to return to the same course and distance for another Group Three on September 12th.
The Jim Bolger-Kevin Manning team had gone 11 days without a winner before yesterday, but they wasted little time putting that right as Gile Na Greine made a winning debut in the juvenile conditions race. The full sister to the 1,000 Guineas runner-up Cuis Ghaire could now appear in the Moyglare Stud Stakes after getting the better of Black Eyed Susan.
“She is not as pacey as Cuis Ghaire but she stays better,” said Bolger, who later saddled Penthesilea Eile to beat the topweight Via Con Dios by a neck in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap.
St Nicholas Abbey looks a two-year-old with a future after an impressive, four-length debut success in the mile maiden enthused trainer Aidan O’Brien.
“He’s an exciting horse. When they can quicken up like that off a slow pace it’s a good sign. He has a very good action,” said the champion, who worked both Yeats and Age Of Aquarius after racing. The pair remain on course for the Irish and English St Legers respectively.
Kildare trainer Monica Dowdall-Blake secured a second Curragh victory of the year for Good Time Sue, who comfortably secured the Derek O’Sullivan Memorial Apprentice Handicap prize under Gary Carroll.
