RACING:THE FORM of Listowel's Premier Nursery last September received even more of a sheen yesterday when Pirateer returned to action with a gutsy success in the Listed Celebration Stakes at the Curragh on Derby day.
Pirateer was the colt who defeated his stable companion Treasure Beach in what looked at the time a relatively ordinary €30,000 event at the Co Kerry track. In fact it seemed more likely to be remembered for a riding ban for Joseph O’Brien than any Classic aspirations any of the runners might have had.
Time illustrates what a tough task the five other runners in that Nursery had and although Treasure Beach dominated yesterday’s attention, Pirateer looks to have a bright future of his own based on his virtually all-the-way success under Ryan Moore.
“Did you see his form?” grinned Aidan O’Brien who also supplied the two-year-old winner After for Moore yesterday. “Ryan gave him a great ride and said that distance (one mile) will do him. We could look at the Desmond Stakes.”
Richard Hughes endured plenty of flak at the Curragh after getting beaten on Dubawi Gold in last month’s Irish 2,000 Guineas but the top jockey had a much happier classic-day experience at HQ yesterday when Lilbourne Lad landed the Group Two Railway Stakes.
The Richard Hannon-trained colt engaged in a prolonged duel with the popular favourite, Tough As Nails, for the last half of the race and earned 25 to 1 quotes for next year’s 2,000 Guineas on the back of the way he battled to a three-quarter length success.
“He is very tough. I thought we were in trouble at halfway and it looked like slow motion in the last furlong but he stuck at it well,” said Richard Hannon Jnr, representing his trainer-father. “We put him in the National Stakes back here at a cost of €5,000 so he could come back for that or go for the Prix Morny.”
The stewards inquired into possible interference between the first two as Lilbourne Lad drifted to his right a hundred yards from the line despite Hughes using his whip in the correct hand. However, they felt that Tough As Nails was also hanging and no action was taken.
If Tough As Nails just failed to secure a Derby day success for the “little guy”, then Six Of Hearts filled the role perfectly in the €85,000 Paddy Power Sprint.
Veteran Mullingar trainer Cecil Ross masterminded a Group Three success last year in the Ballycorus Stakes with the €11,000 purchase but reckoned yesterday’s lucrative success even better.
“It’s as good as winning the Lotto!” he said after apprentice Sam James guided Six Of Hearts to a smooth defeat of Cheviot and the unlucky-in-running Collingwood. “The horse has gears to burn and I thought he got a great ride, very cool.”
Six Of Hearts is set to return to the Curragh on Oaks day next month for the Group Three Minstrel Stakes.
The pace was even faster in the five-furlong Woodies DIY Sapphire Stakes as the favourite Inxile and his English compatriot Hamish McGonagall cut out a furious tempo that had local trainer Michael Halford delighted despite his runner, Invincible Ash, being last in the early stages. “We figured they would go very quick so I told Gary (Carroll) to ride her like a non-trier, stone dead. He gave her a great ride,” Halford said. “I was very worried when all the rain came here on Friday night but every hour it dried out was important to her. She did well in Dubai during the winter but it’s great she gets a big day.”
Gimli’s Rock scored for Jessica Harrington and Fran Berry in the mile-and-a-half handicap, beating off Top Spin by three lengths. “He failed to get into the Galway Hurdle last year but he’ll have no problem this time,” Harrington said. “He’s a very, very hardy boy. That’s probably the easiest he’s ever won.”
Moran Gra concluded the Derby festival with a gutsy win.
