RACING:IRELAND'S NEWEST champion jockey, Wayne Lordan, smoothly made the transition back to turf racing yesterday when securing a 606 to 1 Curragh treble, highlighted by Chrysanthemum's Group Three success.
On Friday night Lordan was crowned champion jockey at the end of Dundalk’s first winter programme on the all-weather, notching up 13 winners, two ahead of his nearest rival, Kevin Manning.
In glorious high-summer like conditions at headquarters yesterday, the Cork man secured back-to-back victories in the Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes as Chrysanthemum beat off the favourite Twirl to bounce back to winning form.
The Danehill Dancer filly was a Park Stakes winner as a juvenile and her trainer David Wachman said afterwards: “She likes an ease in the ground which she never really got last year. She was third in a Group One, though, and was entitled to win on that form.”
Lordan doubled up on board Coolnagree in the following seven furlong handicap, the Willie McCreery-trained filly holding off Ishvana by a length, and pulled off his hat-trick on board Wachman’s Amira’s Prince in the mile maiden.
Sharestan took the first step towards fulfilling his considerable potential when landing the Tote Lincolnshire on just his third career start.
Unraced at two due to injury, John Oxx was never completely happy with the colt as a three-year-old but Sharestan looks a black-type performer in waiting judged by the way he comfortably won yesterday’s big handicap.
“I didn’t think he’d be experienced enough but we always thought a lot of him,” Oxx said.
“He was still a bit green there and will sharpen up. I suppose we will step him up to a Listed race now.
“There’s the Heritage at Leopardstown in three weeks time.”
Oxx’s two big classic hopes for 2012, Born To Sea and Akeed Mofeed, could reappear at that same Leopardstown fixture and the trainer didn’t rule out both horses running in the same 2,000 Guineas Trial over a mile.
“Akeed Mofeed could run at a mile instead of in the Ballysax. We might give him his chance. But so much can change. It’s day to day with them at this time of year,” he said. “But I wouldn’t rule out them both running in the same race.”
The first runner on the track for the 2008 Derby winner New Approach proved to be a winner as the well-touted Dawn Approach won the first race of the 2012 turf season under Kevin Manning.
“He’ll have learned a lot from that. He’s very laid back, a bit different to his old man,” said Jim Bolger who famously trained the sire to be a champion at both two and three.
“He will improve and a longer trip will bring more improvement.”
Croisultan had topweight in the six furlong handicap but that proved no bother to the former Listed winner who won first time of asking for his new trainer Dermot Weld.
The Listed Cork Stakes on Easter Saturday is next up for the ex-Liam McAteer handled sprinter and Weld said: “I thought he might win. He came to me just after Christmas.”
