Al Riffa taking direct path to Irish Guineas date

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Joseph O’Brien is planning to head straight to the Irish 2,000 Guineas with his Group One-winning colt Al Riffa.

Runner-up to Sunday’s Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial winner Hans Anderson on his debut at the Curragh last summer, Al Riffa went one better on his second start before securing a top-level victory in the National Stakes in September.

The Wootton Bassett colt is entered for the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6, but is set to remain on home soil to contest the season’s first Irish Classic three weeks later.

“He’s obviously our flagship horse, he was a Group One-winning two-year-old and he’s the one we’re excited about,” O’Brien said at a press morning at his yard on Monday.

“The plan is to go straight to the Irish Guineas and at the moment what I’m thinking is we’ll then either go for another mile race or go 10 furlongs. I don’t think he’ll go into a Derby.

“It depends how the Guineas goes, but I don’t see him as a real stayer. He’s a horse that showed speed on the track and shows speed in his training.

“I don’t think I’ve had a higher rated two-year-old and he has the frame to go on. Physically he’d stack up with any of those top horses we’ve had.”

Above The Curve (centre) at Joseph O'Brien's yard
Above The Curve (centre) at Joseph O’Brien’s yard (Thomas Weekes/PA)

Another O’Brien inmate with Group One aspirations is Above The Curve, who struck at the top table in the Prix Saint-Alary last season and was beaten less than a length in the Prix de l’Opera on Arc day.

The four-year-old daughter of American Pharoah has options at home and abroad for her seasonal debut.

“She’s one of our top horses and has the option of running in the Prix Ganay or the Prix d’Ispahan and there’s also the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh and the Group Two in York (Middleton Stakes). She’ll start off in one of those and we’ll play it by ear, but she’s a Group One filly and very tough,” the trainer added.

“The Pretty Polly would be an obvious first half of the season target and you can look at international options as well. There’s a good mile-and-a-quarter fillies’ programme through the year.

“She should be at least as good this year.”

A new recruit O’Brien is looking forward to unleashing is Jumbly – a Group Three winner for Harry and Roger Charlton last season before changing hands for 1.25million guineas.

He said: “Her main target will be the mile fillies’ race at Royal Ascot (Duke of Cambridge Stakes) – that will be one of her early season targets.

“She looks good and tough and hasn’t done anything wrong all her career. She’s a little bit behind some of mine, so she won’t have her first run for another few weeks and will just have a prep run for Ascot.”

Joseph O'Brien is set for another exciting season
Joseph O’Brien is set for another exciting season (Brian Lawless/PA)

Among the three-year-olds O’Brien is hoping can make an impact this season is Listowel maiden winner Lark In The Mornin, who is set to reappear in a winners’ race at Cork before stepping up in class.

Two fillies to note are Lumiere Rock, who will line up in an Oaks trial at either Naas or Navan, and Caroline Street, who is due to contest at Guineas trial at Leopardstown.

Goldana, a four-year-old Listed winner in Germany for Peter Schiergen, could make her stable debut in either the Gladness Stakes or the Athasi Stakes, while Ottilien – last seen finishing third in the Group One Prix de Royallieu for David Menuisier – is pencilled in for a Listed race at Cork.

Coffey on course for National service

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Trainer Nicky Henderson would love to see Mister Coffey fill the only significant gap on his CV with victory in the Randox Grand National at Aintree.

Henderson saddled his first runner in the race 44 years ago when Zongalero was the runner-up in 1979 and has hit the crossbar again since as The Tsarevitch also came home second in 1987.

Whilst practically every other major National Hunt race has been claimed by the yard throughout Henderson’s career, the Grand National has remained elusive as the years have passed.

Asked what winning the race would mean after decades of trying, Henderson said: “Well I’m not going to suddenly leap up and say ‘that’s it’ and retire! But on the other hand it would complete the journey, if you like.

“It’s been a long haul and I haven’t finished yet. But that is the one obvious race I’d love to win – doesn’t everyone? I’m sure anyone who’s won the race once, twice, wants to go on and win it again because it’s very special. We’ve been knocking on the door a few times.

Mister Coffey (right) during the 2021 Ladbrokes Winter Carnival Gallops morning at Newbury racecourse
Mister Coffey (right) during the 2021 Ladbrokes Winter Carnival Gallops morning at Newbury racecourse (Adam Davy/PA)

“I love the place. The race is very special, it’s completely different to Cheltenham. Luckily we’ve been fortunate enough to have some of the best horses around and therefore you’re a player at Cheltenham at the highest level and that’s where it really matters, but this race is unique.

“It’s a completely different game. It would be a pity not to find one someday but the clock is ticking!”

Mister Coffey has yet to win a chase but was most recently seen finishing third in last month’s National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, with the gelding also in possession of some National-track experience having contested the Topham at the Aintree meeting last season.

“We ran him in the Topham last year and he enjoyed jumping round there then. He’s in good form and ran a very good race at Cheltenham,” said Henderson.

“He’s been placed in everything you can throw at him. He can’t win anything but that’s a bit like me in the National!

“He’s perfectly capable of it and it’s nice to be going in there with a horse that realistically does have a chance. It would be a surprise to all if I won it!”

Guineas fourth Eydon meets with further setback

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Last year’s 2000 Guineas fourth Eydon will not be seen until the autumn having met with a fresh setback.

The son of Olden Times won the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket last season which set up a return to the Rowley Mile for the Classic.

He outran odds of 33-1 to finish fourth behind Coroebus and having shaped like a step up in trip would suit, connections began dreaming of Derby glory at Epsom.

Eydon ridden by David Egan during the gallops morning ahead of the Cazoo Derby 2022
Eydon ridden by David Egan during the gallops morning ahead of the Cazoo Derby 2022 (John Walton/PA)

However, a setback during the week of the big race saw him cruelly ruled out of the blue riband and he has been on the sidelines ever since.

Switched from Roger Varian to Andrew Balding, it was hoped Eydon would return to the track in the early stages of the 2023 season. But a further problem means he will now miss the key summer months, with connections eying an autumn return.

“He’s had another setback so we won’t see him until the autumn unfortunately,” said Ted Voute, owner Prince Faisal’s racing advisor.

“We were sort of thinking about the Brigadier Gerard and I was relishing maybe meeting last year’s Derby winner (Desert Crown). But we have had to back off him and he’ll be back in the autumn.”

Theoryofeverything impresses on Doncaster debut

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Theoryofeverything could be set for bigger and better things following an impressive debut at Doncaster.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt is by Frankel out of the Group One-winning mare Persuasive and was bought for 325,000 guineas as a yearling.

Sent off the 100-30 second favourite in the hands of Rab Havlin on Town Moor, he looked to have his dam’s love of soft ground, as following a slow start, he ate up the ground to join the leaders approaching a furlong out before scorching clear to register a taking six-length success.

Connections are now likely to search for similar conditions for his next outing, with the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury on April 22 mooted as a possible option.

“Considering he had quite a bad break and from where he ended up, he had quite a lot of ground to make up. He relished the ground conditions and I suspect the trainer will try to find somewhere with similar ground for his next start,” said Ted Voute, racing advisor for Theoryofeverything’s owner Prince Faisal.

“That will probably be Newbury I would say, as that often comes up softer than Newmarket and I suspect we will look for a spot with similar ground.

“I hope the trainer might consider the Greenham. I think that might be the logical next step and there’s also maybe a couple of races in France where we might have a chance of the ground coming up a bit softer.”

He went on: “We would have to supplement into a Classic, but his next run might show us a bit more and whether that is worthwhile or not.

“Otherwise the Prix Jean Prat and St James’s Palace Stakes are the other two we might look at, but they are in drier weather times and it could be the case we might have to hang on to him for the back-end and trying to find some Group Ones and keep entering until we get the right ground. He looks exciting.”

Kevin Ryan’s Aleezdancer (9-2 favourite) landed a gamble in good style in the Mental Health Awareness Handicap, relishing the testing conditions to win by a cosy two and a half lengths.

“The ground is vital to him,” said Ryan.

“We had a very frustrating year with him last year, albeit he won something – every time we had him ready for something the ground had gone.

Beverley Races – Tuesday May 11th 2021
Aleezdancer ridden by Kevin Stott on their way to winning the Racing TV Novice Stakes at Beverley racecourse last year (Mike Egerton/PA)

“He’s just very effective on that surface and we’re delighted that he got his head in front again.

“We’ll have to see what the handicapper does and he’ll have to take into consideration he has handled this ground better than most. So hopefully he is not too harsh on him and we’ll have to wait for similar conditions again. The ground will dictate where he runs.”

Charlie Fellowes’ Gorak (9-2 favourite) was equally impressive when obliging favouritism in the Music Live @ Doncaster Racecourse Handicap and there was no catching Bucephalus (12-1) in the Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap on his first start for Neil Mulholland.

Well-known fundraiser Jack Lander secured his second victory in the saddle when partnering Liam Bailey’s Clansman (15-2) to victory in the opening Flat Is Back At Doncaster Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap, while there was also an easy success for David Evans’ There’s The Door (15-2) in the Autism In Racing Handicap.

Ulster National victor Malina Girl headlines Cromwell treble

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Gavin Cromwell enjoyed a Downpatrick treble highlighted by Malina Girl’s Randox Ulster National Handicap Chase triumph.

The day hit a high note early on when Law Ella claimed the Cosy Roof Maiden Hurdle, justifying her 11-10 favourite status with a four-and-a-half-length success under Keith Donoghue.

The Toals Bookmakers Mares Handicap Hurdle then also went the way of the Cromwell team as Soldaro struck at 7-1 under Sean Flanagan to win twice on the bounce after a Clonmel victory last month.

The feature race on the card was the Ulster National, a three-mile-four-and-a-half-furlong contest won by another Cromwell-trained mare, this time the six-year-old Malina Girl – who gave Donoghue a double in the process.

Cromwell, who claimed the contest last season with Spades Are Trumps, was delighted that the horse could provide her new owners with a significant win so shortly after changing hands.

He said: “The owners (Colin and Jackie Russell) have literally just bought her last week. They haven’t had horses with me before, they have horses with Jonjo O’Neill.

“I gave her a bit of a break and she has been flying at home. I thought she would run a big race here.

“It was (very smooth), she’s a small, little mare but jumps really well.

“I was happy enough that the step up in trip wouldn’t be a problem to her. The fences are not that big around here, it is a summer track.

“She travelled very strongly for her first time over a trip like that. Keith saved plenty of ground around the inside as well. She did it quite well really.

“We won this last year and we were happy to keep the big trophy for a year on the mantelpiece. The kids were giving out that they wanted to keep it, so we will have it back!”

Outsider White Birch surprises Ballysax rivals

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White Birch was all heart to triumph as the outsider in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.

The grey son of Ulysses was a 22-1 chance on his seasonal debut having run twice previously, finishing fifth in a Naas maiden and then landing a Dundalk contest in November.

Trained by John Murphy and ridden by Shane Foley, the three-year-old progressed from last to first in the final two furlongs and was then hindered significantly when Aidan O’Brien’s Alexandroupolis, the favourite, lurched right on the run to the line.

Recovering from the wobble to rally again, White Birch locked horns with Joseph O’Brien’s Up And Under and was headed at the half-furlong pole before battling back to score by half a length.

George Murphy, assistant trainer to his father, said: “I’m absolutely delighted with that. He relaxed lovely early on and quickened up really well.

White Birch and Shane Foley
White Birch and Shane Foley (Damien Storan/PA)

“He got a good bump about a furlong down but he’s a very honest horse and stayed lengthening the whole way to the line.

“We are delighted with that and he could be very good. He’s done what we always thought he could do.

“We’ll have a chat now with the owners and make a decision on where we are going to go. We said we would learn a lot today going up to a mile and a quarter on this ground and it seemed no issue to him.

“He’s hasn’t any Classic entries but he could get some yet! We’ll see how he comes out of this and make a plan from there.

“He had a lovely run first time out in Naas on heavy ground, so we thought he’d get through it today all right. He floated around Dundalk over seven (furlongs) and showed a lot of speed, so he could be very versatile ground wise and clearly going a mile and quarter was no issue either.

“He could be a very exciting horse.”

Foley added: “It wasn’t necessarily a surprise. I’ve ridden him in his work over the last couple of weeks and I’ve really liked him. He’s a gorgeous horse. George (Murphy) was worried about coming here and going that trip, but I think you could go a mile and a half with him.

“It was a proper race, they went a proper gallop and it never let up. He’s a nice horse.

“I knew down around the bottom bend that I was getting to them and he actually picked up better than I expected and I ended up getting there a little bit too soon. He really is a nice horse.

“I actually fancied him coming here and then he was the outsider of the whole field. On his homework, he was working like a very nice horse. I was riding him to run well and it all worked out.”

Laurel booked for Snowdrop assignment

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Sun Chariot runner-up Laurel is to make her return to action in the Racing TV Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes at Kempton on Easter Monday.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the Juddmonte-owned four-year-old made giant strides last season having not made her debut until the end of July.

She won that day at Kempton and returned there in September to defy a penalty before stepping straight into Group One company at Newmarket, beating all bar Fonteyn.

“Laurel is a lovely filly and looks great at the moment. She’s going to start off at Kempton in the Snowdrop on Monday week,” said Juddmonte’s Barry Mahon.

“She’s in good form and hopefully she’ll have a good year. She’ll have no penalty at Kempton, she handles the all-weather having won there twice and we’ll try to get her season up and going.

“She’s not a stakes winner yet, so the aim will be to make her a stakes winner and then progress throughout the year.”

Another lightly-raced Juddmonte filly who made giant strides last season was Ralph Beckett’s Haskoy.

She was another to win her first two outings, the second a Listed race at York, before being stepped up in distance and class for the St Leger in which she crossed the line second before being placed fourth due to causing interference.

Haskoy (right) just got the better of fellow Juddmonte-owned filly Time Lock at York
Haskoy (right) just got the better of fellow Juddmonte-owned filly Time Lock at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

“She’s in great form, I saw her on Wednesday at Ralph’s. She had a nice break during the winter when she came back to the farm,” said Mahon.

“We probably threw her in at the deep end a little bit going for a St Leger on just her third start, so we gave her a good break and she went back to Ralph in January.

“She’s probably a little way off a run, I’d say you wouldn’t see her for six or seven weeks yet but she’s done well and she’s a filly we’re looking forward to this year.

“I think we’ll be starting her over a mile and a half. She won the Galtres over that trip at York so we know she’s effective at that distance.

“We’ve got Westover for the Coronation Cup I suppose but she’s a nice filly, we know she stays but I don’t know she needs to be going over any further than a mile and six (furlongs), the weakest part of her race in the Leger was probably the last 50 yards.

“She’s definitely an exciting filly though, her and the filly that was second at York, Time Lock. They are two good four-year-olds to go to war with.”

Story stakes Guineas claim with Leopardstown Trial triumph

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Never Ending Story led an Aidan O’Brien domination of both the colts’ and fillies’ Guineas trials at Leopardstown.

Contesting the Group Three Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes, Never Ending Story came into the race the 2-1 favourite after landing the Silver Flash at the same grade and track last season.

The daughter of Dubawi ended her term with third place in the Prix Marcel Boussac and was starting her three-year-old campaign under Ryan Moore at Leopardstown.

Ahead of only a handful of rivals and travelling widest of all around the final bend, the filly rallied under Moore to pick off the field one by one.

Eventually collaring the leader, Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte, Never Ending Story crossed the line two and a half lengths ahead and was trimmed from 20-1 to 8-1 for the Qipco 1000 Guineas by bookmaker Paddy Power as a result.

O’Brien said: “We are delighted with her as she hadn’t really come yet, you can see it in her coat.

“She can go to one of the Guineas and the step up in trip shouldn’t be a problem to her.

“(Stablemate) Meditate is the plan for Newmarket and she could go for one of the other Guineas. We will go gently on her.”

Earlier in the afternoon, O’Brien’s Hans Andersen made light work of the Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes.

The Frankel colt won a maiden last term and was then a good second to stablemate Aesop’s Fables in the Group Two Futurity Stakes at the Curragh in August.

Ryan Moore and Hans Andersen
Ryan Moore and Hans Andersen (Damien Storan/PA)

He was soundly beaten by Al Riffa next time out in the Group One National Stakes, but was nevertheless the 8-13 favourite when making his seasonal debut and stepped down in grade.

Patiently ridden by Moore until two furlongs from home, he swept clear of his four rivals to prevail by two and a half lengths when encouraged by little more than hands and heels.

O’Brien was pleased with the performance, particularly considering the heavy ground, and is considering the Irish or French Guineas, plus the French Derby for his Classic targets.

Hans Andersen was a clear winner
Hans Andersen was a clear winner (Niall Carson/PA)

He said: “I’m delighted with him. He could be an Irish Guineas horse or a French Derby horse and that’s what we are looking at.

“He had experience from last year. He quickened up well and is a very good mover.

“He’s obviously a good ground horse, he moves very long and low. That’s not his ground but he got through it.

“It’s never ideal (running on heavy ground) but we always run if we can at all. It’s never going to suit every horse all the time, but at least he got started. All that could happen is that he might not win.

“He could look at the French Guineas or the Irish Guineas on the way to the French Derby.”

Quinn eyeing York starting point for Highfield Princess

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John Quinn has identified next month’s 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes as the comeback target for his star sprinter Highfield Princess.

The six-year-old enjoyed a fantastic campaign in 2022, progressing from a victory on All-Weather Championships Finals Day to completing a Group One hat-trick with wins in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five Stakes.

She also won the Group Two Duke of York and rounded off her season by finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

Having returned to training in the new year, Highfield Princess looks set to follow a similar path in what will be her final season before being retired for broodmare duties, with a repeat trip to York first on her agenda.

John Quinn following his star sprinter's success in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh
John Quinn following his star sprinter’s success in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh (Donall Farmer/PA)

Quinn said: “I’m very happy with her. She’s been back in for a while, she’s in good nick and we’ll start her off at York in the Duke of York.

“She came back in towards the end of January, so she’s been in a while and York will soon come round.

“We’ll see how we go, but after York you’d be looking at Royal Ascot and on from there.

“With a bit of luck we’ll roll the dice with her as it’s her last year.”

The Foxes pencilled in for Craven Stakes return

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The Foxes could start his campaign in the Craven Stakes as he hopes to tread a path to the Derby.

The son of Churchill won for the first time in a Goodwood maiden in July last year, then taking a step forward to land the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket in September.

The Craven Stakes, a Group Three event run over a mile at the same track in mid-April, is the probable starting point for the colt this term.

The Foxes (left) winning the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes
The Foxes (left) winning the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (David Davies/PA)

The Dante, a Group Two step up to 10 furlongs, has been mentioned as the next target, after which a tilt at the Derby is under consideration for the King Power-owned three-year-old.

Trainer Andrew Balding said: “We are hoping that The Foxes might make up into a Derby horse this season.

“He is not in the 2000 Guineas but he will probably run in the Craven as a prep for the Dante.

“He is a horse that we have always rated and he looks the part. Hopefully he will be a smart horse this season.”