Tag Archive for: Tenebrism

Moss Tucker surprises Tenebrism at Naas

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Moss Tucker reversed recent form with Tenebrism to foil the odds-on favourite in the Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital Woodlands Stakes at Naas.

A Group One winner at two and three, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Tenebrism looks set to be a big player in the all the top sprint contests this year and started off in winning form at Cork earlier this month.

Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker was back in fifth on that occasion, but proved really tough in front this time having looked like being swallowed up when Ryan Moore produced the 2-5 market leader for her effort.

A length and a half was the winning margin for the Billy Lee-ridden 9-2 chance.

Condon said: “On the face of it the last day was slightly disappointing, but Billy came back in and said put a line through that. He slightly missed the break and they went steady enough for two furlongs.

“That’s more his thing, a stiffer track. Ground seems to come the same to him but he’s a tough, honest relentless galloper. I’m very fond of horses like him.

“Donal and Geraldine (Spring) bred him and he’s given them so much enjoyment.”

He added: “He could look at races like the Greenlands and we could travel with him. We might go to Ascot and races like the Flying Five. He ran in the Abbaye last year and we might go there again.”

O’Brien had been looking at a King’s Stand-Platinum Jubilee double bid with Tenebrism, but may now concentrate on the latter.

“It was very tacky ground and the plan was to go to the Curragh (for the Greenlands) and then do the two races in Ascot,” he said.

“We might go to the Curragh and then just do the Diamond (Platinum) Jubilee. That’s the way we are thinking now.”

Boogie Woogie is set for an Oaks trial
Boogie Woogie is set for an Oaks trial (PA)

O’Brien and Moore did get on the scoresheet, courtesy of Boogie Woogie (1-2 favourite) in the 10-furlong Race & Stay Fillies Maiden.

O’Brien said: “She was green the first day and got beaten three times last year, but we always liked her.

“The plan was to come here and if everything went well she might go for the Oaks Trial at Lingfield. It would be a good education for her and she’d learn plenty there.”

Also notable was the victory of the Natalia Lupini-trained Blairmayne in the Best Of Luck To Our Neighbours Punchestown Ahead Of The 2023 Festival Handicap, as it brought up the 1,000th winner of Wayne Lordan’s career.

Lordan said: “I rode Winter and Hermosa to win the 1000 Guineas. I’ve been lucky enough to ride some good horses and plenty of Group Ones.

“Iridessa winning at the Breeders’ Cup was great. It’s a huge achievement to get one on a stage like that.

“I never thought that I would ride 1,000 winners. It’s a hard thing to do with the jockeys that we have here. It’s very competitive and I’m delighted.”

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.”