RACING:BOOKMAKERS WERE mostly willing to forgive Akeed Mofeed's narrow Beresford Stakes defeat by David Livingston but it still took an effort of the imagination to predict possible classic glory for anything running at the Curragh yesterday.
The primary reason for that was heavy ground that turned the finish of a Group Two feature with a history of uncovering future Group One stars into something resembling a mid-winter handicap hurdle slog.
David Livingston showed admirable fortitude to make all the running in such testing conditions but there was an undeniable sense of anti-climax that the odds on Akeed Mofeed failed by half a length to overhaul him.
Billed beforehand as a possible successor to John Oxx’s previous Beresford winners, Alamshar, Azamour and even Sea The Stars, Akeed Mofeed didn’t particularly get the run of the race and was hardly suited to the conditions.
However, it was no surprise that some bookmakers removed him from their 2,000 Guineas betting while leaving him mostly unchanged at 20 to 1 for next year’s Derby.
“There’s something about that inside track here when it gets wet. I hate it. It gets very holding,” Oxx said afterwards. “He struggled on the ground and the winner did get away from him a bit coming down the hill. I’m sure the winner isn’t Aidan’s best and our horse will have to improve a good bit from two to three. But he still ran a good race and we’re as happy as we can be without winning.”
David Livingston had finished third to his stable companion Power in the National Stakes on his previous start and may yet get the chance to pitch his hat at a Group One prize this season.
“He has the option of the Racing Post Trophy and those races in France but I don’t think it is important he runs again this season. He has raced plenty and that was a tough going out there,” Aidan O’Brien said afterwards.
Séamus Heffernan was riding another big-race winner this year and reported: “I was happy enough to let him bowl along but it’s not ideal to lead for so long on ground like that. He did it well.”
In contrast, the day’s other feature, the CL Weld Park Stakes, was a memorable first Group race success for local trainer Paddy Prendergast whose Coral Wave beat off both Homecoming Queen and Princess Sinead in a finish of necks.
“Something has to get you up in the morning during the winter and this filly will do that,” a delighted Prendergast said. “It looks like she could be a mile and a half filly next year. She loves that ground and is still a little on the weak side so there should be improvement.”
Jockey Danny Mullins was last night travelling to Britain to start a job as a jump rider with Alan King but left with a bang as he guided Rock And Roll Kid to a short head defeat of Bay Knight in the seven furlong conditions race. The winner’s trainer, Tony Mullins, nominated Cork’s Navigation Stakes as a next target for the horse.
Maarek denied the English-trained favourite Marura in the Premier Handicap and trainer David Nagle said: “He’s a typical Pivotal. He wants soft ground and six furlongs.”
