Tenebrism bursts into sprinting picture with Cork success

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Tenebrism made her class count with victory on her return to action at Cork.

Aidan O’Brien’s filly is a dual Group One winner, but remarkably returned at a very generous 11-10 favourite in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cork Stakes over six furlongs.

Saddled with a 5lb penalty, she was nicely tracking the pace set by Moss Tucker and Wave Machine, then her turn of foot under Ryan Moore at the furlong pole soon saw the race put to bed.

Paddy Power and Betfair went 7-1 for the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot and 20-1 for the Platinum Jubilee.

O’Brien said: “At the backend of last year we put her into the sprint at Ascot and it became apparent that she was an obvious sprinter. We had been trying to stretch her to seven (furlongs) and a mile, but obviously it is all pure natural speed she has.

“She has a lovely mind, relaxes and quickens and could be very exciting for the year.

“She was at the Curragh a couple of weeks ago when Dean (Gallagher) rode her and she went up with the Guineas horses and he was delighted with her and was happy with her since.

“We took her here without training her hard and she was really only ready to come racing. That’s the way we wanted and she can go back to Naas in a couple of weeks.

“We thought if she got to Royal Ascot that she could run two days, in the King’s Stand and the Diamond (Platinum) Jubilee.”

He added: “On that (testing) ground we usually struggle, but the horses are forward and we have to be careful now when they are that forward. A couple of months before the ground got back it was good and they were all doing half-speeds so the foundation was in them.”

All eyes in the following Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden were on the O’Brien-trained Alabama, but the well-touted No Nay Never colt never quite looked like he would oblige, albeit there was promise in his third to the very taking winner Noche Magica (7-4).

Ridden by Billy Lee for Paddy Twomey, the Night Of Thunder youngster cost £230,000 as a yearling and might be good value at that judged on this effort.

Noche Magica returns with Billy Lee
Noche Magica returns with Billy Lee (Thomas Weekes/PA)

Twomey said: “Like plenty of mine on debut, he was green and fell out of the gates but once he was going and joined them, Billy said he was just going through the gears. He said that that ground actually blunted his speed. He doesn’t want that heavy ground, but I felt he was ready to start and run a nice race.

“I don’t gallop horses in the spring and he had one breeze and a little half-speed with a three-year-old last week and that’s all he has done so far – it is natural ability with him.

“Mark McStay bought him for a new owner to the yard, Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi, who is a Dubai businessman, and I’m delighted to have him and delighted he sent the horse to us.

“Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards now and while I didn’t think past today, I’d say six (furlongs) is no problem and we’d love to go to Ascot in June. Wherever we go before then, I think he is good enough.”

Elsewhere on the card, You Send Me is set to test her Classic credentials after an impressive success in the Welcome To The Racing Home For Easter Festival 2023 Fillies Maiden.

The well-supported Fozzy Stack-trained daughter of Starspangledbanner was only seen once last season and went into the notebooks with her fifth place in that run at the Curragh in September.

All the better for it, the 11-4 chance quickened up smartly when asked by Mark Enright, coming home three and a half lengths to the good over Beauty Bella.

“She is a big filly and was very weak when she ran last year so we put her away,” said Stack.

“We’ll see how she comes out of this and if it doesn’t take too much out of her, we might look at a Guineas trial. She is very big and still very raw and could even make a better filly next year than this year.

“She wants seven (furlongs) or a mile and I don’t think she wants it that soft as she is a good moving filly. She is a nice filly.”

Instit floors stablemate Allegorie De Vassy at Fairyhouse

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Instit turned over her much better-fancied Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Allegorie De Vassy to win the BoyleSports Mares Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.

Allegorie De Vassy appeared to have the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways having been narrowly denied by Impervious at the Cheltenham Festival.

It would have been an easy decision for Paul Townend to choose her over Instit, given there was officially 20lb between them on ratings.

Everything appeared to be going smoothly for Townend as he tracked Instit (15-2) into the straight, but as has happened so many times in recent years, Danny Mullins had given his mount the perfect ride from the front.

Having taken over on the run to the last, Townend suddenly looked worried in front and Instit had just about regained the upper hand before Allegorie De Vassey made a jolting mistake and the race was over.

“She’s a mare that hadn’t fulfilled her potential over fences verses what I’d seen from her over hurdles,” said Danny Mullins.

“I was conscious not to set it up for Paul and save my own petrol in parts. The race mapped out perfectly for him and my filly still managed to come out on top.

“We went good even fractions for the first two miles and were able to get a breather in. A great jump at the third-last gave me a chance and of the two mistakes at the last mine was more minor which allowed me to land galloping a bit faster and got away to win nicely.

“The ground is pretty dead. We had a lot of rain over the past week but there is fantastic grass and the course is in good condition. A strong wind and a bit of sun today has left it sticky. Fairyhouse takes a good round of jumping and the best horse usually wins.”

There was a surprise victor in the Low.ie Best For Mortgage Protection & Life Insurance Hunters Chase as Annamix (18-1) won for the first time since November 2020.

Once an ante-post favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, it is fair to say Rich and Susannah Ricci’s grey has not lived up to expectations.

Even in the hunter chase sphere he has failed to hit the heights and he looked up against it adrift of odds-on favourite Ferns Lock and Mullins stablemate Billaway.

But Charlie Mullins refused to accept defeat and he powered away after the last to win by four and a half lengths. Ferns Lock faded very tamely into third.

“I knew they had gone pretty quick and I said I’d sit back,” said the winning rider.

“I felt he had a chance turning into the straight. When he passed one or two he took a hold with me again. I let him fly at the last and he kept picking up for me.

“He made a few bad mistakes and can take off from anywhere!”

Mark Walsh made the perfect comeback from his latest injury setback when winning the Tom Quinlan Electrical Maiden Hurdle on Peter Fahey’s Canal End (9-4).

Mighty Potter ‘back to his best’ for Fairyhouse recovery mission

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Mighty Potter bids to bounce back from an odds-on reverse at the Cheltenham Festival in the WilllowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.

The dual Grade One-winning hurdler was hugely impressive in winning his first three starts over fences including a top-level triumph in the Drinmore Novice Chase over this course and distance in December.

After following up at the Dublin Racing Festival, Mighty Potter was a 4-6 shot for last month’s Turners’ Novices’ Chase, but hung under pressure and passed the post in third behind Stage Star.

Connections believe they have a valid excuse for that reverse, though, and are hopeful he can show his true colours.

Joey Logan, racing manager for owners Caldwell Construction Ltd, said: “He lost a shoe in Cheltenham and was very sore after the race.

“He veered right coming up the straight and was still only beaten four lengths.

“He worked the other day and we’re very happy with him. He’s in great form and we think we have him back to his best.”

Willie Mullins has claimed this prize in each of the past four years, with his two subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Al Boum Photo (2018) and Galopin Des Champs (2022) on the roll of honour.

Appreciate It returns to the Naas winner's enclosure
Appreciate It returns to the Naas winner’s enclosure (Gary Carson/PA)

His chief hope this weekend appears to be Appreciate It, who was half a length behind Mighty Potter at Cheltenham, having previously placed third in the Irish Arkle.

“Appreciate It has been a little disappointing the last twice, but perhaps the way the race worked out in Cheltenham didn’t see him to his best,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.

“I’d imagine we’ll ride him a bit differently this time and we’re hoping on Sunday he’ll start to show what we think of him.”

Appreciate It, the chosen mount of Paul Townend, is joined by five stablemates in Adamantly Chosen (Brian Hayes), Authorized Art (Danny Mullins), Flame Bearer (Sean O’Keeffe), James Du Berlais (Daryl Jacob) and Sir Gerhard.

Sir Gerhard has something to prove
Sir Gerhard has something to prove (Mike Egerton/PA)

The latter disappointed in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham and while looking forward to being on board this weekend, Mullins junior admits to have concerns about the track.

He added: “Flame Bearer is starting to get the hang of things and won at this meeting last year as a novice hurdler, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him run well.

“With Sir Gerhard, the last two years going right-handed in Punchestown he’s disappointed after Cheltenham, so that is probably a concern here.

“Having said that, it’s a Grade One over his distance and he has to take his chance and hopefully with that experience from Cheltenham under his belt he can fence better and run better.”

Haggas raises Australian satellite yard idea, as Dubai Honour wins again

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William Haggas said he was “pretty keen” to set up a base in Australia after watching Dubai Honour blitz the field to provide him with a third win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in the past four years.

Haggas was unable to be on course for either of Addeybb’s victories in one of Australia’s premier 10-furlong races due to the Covid pandemic, so he was keen to be there to watch Dubai Honour – especially after the gelding had won the Ranvet Stakes so impressively prior to it.

With Tom Marquand back in the saddle having returned from injury, Haggas will have been content throughout as he watched his jockey track Godolphin’s prolific Group One winner Anamoe into the straight.

And when Marquand got Dubai Honour into the clear the race was over, as he quickened up impressively to win by two and a half lengths. Anamoe was caught on the line for second by Mo’unga.

Reports in Australia during the week said Haggas has looked into setting up a satellite yard with Andrew Balding, and results like this will only make that more of a possibility.

“He’s very keen and I’m pretty keen so we’ll see what happens,” Haggas told www.skyracingworld.com.

Regarding his winner Haggas said: “Anamoe is a great horse, take nothing away from him.

“But this horse has come forward for being here and he’s won well today.

“Don’t underestimate him. He’s a pretty good horse and he was never quite right last year and he was boxing against some good horses – top, top horses.”

Marquand said: “For the boss to target the Queen Elizabeth with another horse and pull it off, it’s just insane.

“Genuinely, I’ve jumped aboard this horse on the right day at the right time and it’s everyone else behind it that got the job done. All I had to do was point and shoot.”

The winner is now set to head to Hong Kong before heading back to Newmarket.

Ashroe Diamond set to sparkle for Mullins at Fairyhouse

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Ashroe Diamond leads an eight-strong Willie Mullins team into battle in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The champion trainer has saddled five of the last nine winners of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One and appears intent on adding to his tally on Easter Sunday.

Ashroe Diamond looks the first string under Paul Townend, having won a Grade Three prize here before a late setback ruled her out of an intended appearance at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

Patrick Mullins, who partnered the six-year-old to a high-profile bumper success at Aintree last season, said: “It was unfortunate she didn’t get to run in Cheltenham, but she’s been 100 per cent since and she’s definitely the number one.

“She’s obviously won at Fairyhouse and we’d like to think on her previous form in Grade Ones behind Facile Vega and Marine Nationale she’ll be hard to beat.”

Ashroe Diamond is joined by Night And Day (Daryl Jacob), Eabha Grace (Conor McNamara), Got Glory (Jack Foley), Hauturiere (Brian Hayes), Lot Of Joy (Nico de Boinville), Nikini (Patrick Mullins) and Pink In The Park (Phillip Enright).

“Night And Day missed Cheltenham as well and she’s a very talented mare,” Mullins added.

“She ran in this last year first time out, so that shows what we think of her and hopefully she can fulfil her potential.

“Got Glory is a mare with a lot of ability, but it is going to be hard for her on her first Irish start, and I ride Nikini, who ran all right in Cheltenham but the ground could be against her.”

Magical Zoe winning at Down Royal
Magical Zoe winning at Down Royal (Brian Lawless/PA)

Henry de Bromhead would undoubtedly love to win a prize named after his recently retired stable star Honeysuckle, who dominated her rivals in this race four years ago.

The trainer’s main hope appears to be Magical Zoe, who filled the runner-up spot in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, with stablemate Rioga Choice an outsider.

Gordon Elliott’s trio of Halka Du Tabert, Harmonya Maker and Shecouldbeanything also feature, as does the Tony Mullins-trained Princess Zoe.

The latter finished fifth at Cheltenham and her trainer expects to see his Group One-winning mare in a better light stepping back up in distance.

He said: “If you take the Cheltenham run on face value, going up half a mile will be a big advantage to us, but now this is a Grade One and there’s no penalties we’re 5lb worse off with Magical Zoe.

“If the half-mile negates the 5lb we’re right in there. You have to decide whether you think it will or not and I think it will – I think the extra half-mile is crucial to Zoe.”

Fakir D’oudairies on course for Aintree hat-trick

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Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies headlines nine entries as he goes in search of a third successive win in the Marsh Chase at Aintree on Friday.

O’Brien made the decision to keep the eight-year-old old fresh for his hat-trick bid and did not run him at Cheltenham.

Hitman and French Dynamite, third and fourth in the Ryanair Chase, Donald McCain’s Minella Drama and Hitman’s Paul Nicholls-trained stablemate Pic D’Orhy are among the potential runners.

Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe will look to get back to winning ways in the Air Charter Services Mildmay Novices’ Chase.

Gerri Colombe suffered the first defeat of his career at Cheltenham
Gerri Colombe suffered the first defeat of his career at Cheltenham (Steven Paston/PA)

He suffered the first defeat of his career at Cheltenham when going down narrowly to The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory.

Willie Mullins’ Bronn outran his 50-1 odds in that race in third and may take the runner-up on again, while Stage Star, winner of the Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, has the option of stepping up in trip.

In the Poundland Top Novices’ Hurdle Jamie Snowden’s Festival hero You Wear It Well could take on the boys.

She is one of 28 entries with Nicky Henderson’s Luccia another mare in contention.

There are several who made no show in the Supreme at Cheltenham such as Tahmuras, Strong Leader, Chasing Fire and Rare Edition looking to bounce back.

Fergal O'Brien trains Hullnback
Fergal O’Brien trains Hullnback (David Davies/PA)

In contrast, the likes of Hullnback, Altobelli, Parramount and Nemean Lion have looked impressive in lesser grades.

Mullins has the top four in the weights left in the Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Handicap Chase in Haut En Couleurs, Burrows Saint, Ciel De Neige and Fan De Blues.

Gavin Cromwell’s prolific winner Final Orders, Sam Thomas’ Grand Sefton hero Al Dancer and Dan Skelton’s Ashtown Lad are other major fancies, along with Gesskille for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Chacun Pour Soi and Bachasson in Cork showdown

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Chacun Pour Soi takes on stablemate Bachasson in the Bar One Racing Chase at Cork on Sunday.

Chacun Pour Soi has won six times at Grade One level over fences, but has been beaten in each of his three previous races this season and was last of nine in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last month.

The 11-year-old steps down in grade but up in trip for this weekend’s three-mile Grade Three – and his biggest danger appears to be fellow Willie Mullins-trained gelding Bachasson, who recently made a successful return from over two years on the sidelines at Clonmel.

Bachasson has been a fantastic servant to his connections
Bachasson has been a fantastic servant to his connections (Alan Magee/PA)

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “Bachasson has won 16 races in total and won his last six. He has never won over three miles, although he did run in a Gold Cup and I don’t see why it should be a problem.

“The bigger worry is maybe coming back quick after a long lay-off, but he seems to have come out of his Clonmel race very well and no doubt he will run well again.

“He has been an incredible horse and is a real yard favourite. Usually as (grey) horses get older they get white but he seems to be a Peter Pan and a steel grey which is quite unusual.”

Of Chacun Pour Soi, he added: “He is stepping up to three miles and it is a little bit of a shot in the dark. He has to give away an awful lot of weight, which won’t make life easy on him either.

“But Chacun Pour Soi has won at Cork before so we are just hoping he can get somewhere back to his best form as he doesn’t seem to be at his best this season so far.”

The Mullins pair head a five-strong field, with Ronald Pump (Ciaran Murphy), Feronily (Emmet Mullins) and The Little Yank (John Ryan) completing the quintet.

Emperor shows winning Spirit for Cowell team

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Robert Cowell’s Emperor Spirit dominated affairs to land the BetUK All-Weather Vase Sprint Handicap at Lingfield.

A relatively new part of the Cowell stable, the five-year-old had run just once prior to the event when finishing seventh over five furlongs at Newcastle in February.

Ridden by Jamie Spencer, the 10-1 shot was equipped with cheekpieces and made all of the running to cross the line a neck ahead of his nearest pursuer.

“We ran him over five furlongs in his first start for us because we just wanted to find out how much speed he really had, but it was a bit too quick for him,” Cowell said.

“Six furlongs at Lingfield was an ideal trip, especially on that sort of track, and our game plan worked perfectly.

“Jamie gave him a peach of a ride, exactly what we wanted, and it was a nice pot to win.”

Cowell felt the reapplication of cheekpieces combined with a tongue tie had aided the horse in claiming victory.

He said: “I think the cheekpieces played a part. Quite often when we take other horses on, we take everything off and gradually apply what we need to apply, but I think the combination of the cheekpieces and the tongue strap probably helped.

“It helped stop him getting his tongue over the bit and getting a bit loose, he was really good today.”

Elsewhere on the card, the BetUK All-Weather Vase Marathon Handicap was claimed by Rossa Ryan aboard Ralph Beckett’s Carzola at 9-1.

The Spreadex Sports All Weather Vase Mile Handicap went the way of Irish raider Final Voyage (11-2), trained by Johnny Murtagh and ridden by the newly-crowned all-weather champion apprentice Billy Loughnane.

James Ferguson also enjoyed a winner at the meeting when Diderot, a 8-1 shot, took the BetUK All-Weather Vase Middle Distance Handicap under Daniel Muscutt for Owners Group.

Diligent Harry holds on for front-running Sprint verdict

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Diligent Harry was given an inspired ride by Kieran Shoemark to win a hot renewal of the BetUK All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle.

Away well in the six-furlong event that brought All-Weather Championships Finals Day to a close, the 4-1 shot soon found himself on the front end and Shoemark seized the initiative aboard Clive Cox’s five-year-old to dictate matters.

At a track where it can be notoriously difficult to win from the front, Diligent Harry showed plenty of resolve when the talented cast of sprinters began to make their respective challenges and the son of Due Diligence always had extra in reserve – responding gamely to Shoemark’s urgings to repel both Witch Hunter and 7-4 favourite Annaf in a thrilling finish.

Diligent Harry and connections after winning the BetUK All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle
Diligent Harry and connections after winning the BetUK All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle (PA)

It was the second time the gelding has scooped prize-money on Finals Day having landed the three-year-old division at Lingfield in 2021 and his next outing could be in York’s 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes on May 18.

Cox said: “Nothing jumped well enough to lead him, ideally you’d be looking for something to give him a lead but it was wonderful.

“That’s twice on Good Friday now he’s collected. At Lingfield a couple of years ago and now here. Now I’m really looking forward to the summer with him.

“I think there’s a big pot on the turf to win with him. We’ve always thought highly of him and we’ve campaigned him accordingly. With a little bit of confidence, I think he can be exciting for the rest of the summer.

“He’s in the Duke of York but it’s exciting now, he’ll have got some confidence from that.

“Gelding has certainly helped him and he’s matured. I’m really excited.”

Shoemark said: “That was probably plan D. It didn’t go to plan at all, as Diligent Harry usually pulls himself up in front. I was talking to the other jockeys in the stalls and absolutely no one wanted to go forward. He pinged the gates and I had no choice in it.

“He travelled like a dream today, quickened really good from the two to the one, but I just felt that he was waiting for another horse in the last furlong.

“I had committed to him in all fairness, even though Vadream was in the race, and I was always going to ride him. I am just delighted for the whole team. He was the class horse in the race and he deserves it.”

Queen Aminatu reigns in Fillies And Mares’ heat

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Queen Aminatu flew home to land a hat-trick in the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle.

William Haggas’ daughter of Muhaarar is unbeaten since being switched back to the all-weather and having struck at both Lingfield and Deauville at the back-end of 2022, she continued her love affair with the synthetics in this £150,000 contest at Gosforth Park.

Held up off the steady pace by Cieren Fallon, the Anthony Oppenheimer-owned four-year-old looked like she could struggle to find a run as the race began to develop. But she turned on the afterburners once she found some daylight and showed a devastating turn of foot to run down Rae Guest’s Aramis Girl and the 11-10 favourite Manaafith inside the final furlong.

It was the master of Somerville Lodge’s second victory in the seven-furlong event following Diagnostic in 2018 and there could be plenty more big days to come for the upwardly-mobile filly, with her jockey indicating a trip to Royal Ascot could be on the agenda.

Fallon said: “We went a nice gallop and I was just waiting for gaps really. She settled nicely and when I clicked the go button – wow – she put it to bed in a matter of strides.

“I was drawn next to Jim (Crowley) which was crucial, so I just wanted to follow him as I felt he was the one to beat on Manaafith. She’s a versatile filly who settles really well and with that turn of foot she has, she puts races to bed in no time.

Queen Aminatu ridden by Cieren Fallon (second left) wins the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle
Queen Aminatu ridden by Cieren Fallon (second left) wins the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle (Richard Sellers/PA)

“I understand she stays in training, she’s improving loads. It’s exciting.

“I rode her work last week and said to the boss I thought she was a Group horse. To win a race like this like that, proves it.

“She’s always going to go and improve for her first run of the year, so with a bit of luck you’d think she can go and win a Group race.

“I think Royal Ascot will be the plan.”