A change in riding tactics can rarely have had as dramatic an effect on a horse's performance as the hold-up strategy has had on Rush Brook, and this reformed head waiter can deliver the goods in style in this evening's £70,000 McDonogh Handicap.
The roll of honour for this event contains some pretty illustrious names, including the subsequent Irish Champion Stakes winner, Timarida, in 1995. Rush Brook, by contrast, has been regarded as an admirably tough if exposed sprinter-miler up to mid-June of this year. Other assumptions included a liking for racing up with the pace and a preference for distances just short of a mile.
But then his shrewd trainer David Wachman sent Rush Brook to Tipperary in mid-June for a nine-furlong handicap, off a mark of 87. Held up, Rush Brook cruised through to win comfortably and was raised to 97 for his next race.
That was at the Curragh when Fran Berry again showed his aptitude for riding a waiting race and Rush Brook sliced through the field to beat many of tonight's field in easy fashion.
Rush Brook is now on a mark of 106, something that would have been hard to imagine six weeks ago, and Berry is on board again over a track that can suit patiently ridden horses. Those that ran against Rush Brook at the Curragh include Khaysan and last year's McDonogh runner-up, Golden Fact, who missed a Golden Pages run due to the saddle breaking.
They are 7lb better off with Rush Brook; and also ranged against him are the easy Golden Pages winner, Livadiya, the classy Tarry Flynn, who is bidding to give Dermot Weld a sixth McDonogh victory, and the English raider, Tissifer, who has a second to King Adam to his credit and a fourth in a Newbury Listed event last time.
The one thing that can be said about most of the field tonight is that they are pretty well exposed. The new-look Rush Brook could be the exception, however, and although he may appear late, he can appear decisively.
Dermot Weld's appearances at Galway are usefully pretty decisive too and he can emphasise that point in some style this evening.
Ansar, beaten a nose in the Chester Cup but a disappointment in the Pitmans Derby, was originally intended to race on Friday; yet significantly now has his first hurdles start since being second to General Cloney last winter. Norman Williamson takes the ride and it will be a surprise if this classy sort is beaten in the opener.
The filly, Twice The Ease, had an unhappy debut at Cork in May when losing ground at the start and then being hampered, but she still ran okay behind Eveam and looks the one in the seven-furlong maiden.
Weld could complete a treble in the last with Mutahamis. This one needed all of the two miles at Killarney last time when passing Maradan in the shadow of the post.
With Michael Kinane on duty at Goodwood, the Aidan O'Brien- trained runner at Galway tonight will have an unusual name on its back as Japanese jockey Takanori Kikusawa has his first ride in Ireland.
Kikusawa (30) has had 408 winners from almost 5,000 rides in Japan and has been riding out at O'Brien's Ballydoyle stables for the last five weeks. He will ride he Sadler's Wells filly, Dream, in the seven-furlong maiden.
"He's a nice rider who had 49 winners in Japan last year and is over here on a working holiday," said a Ballydoyle spokesman yesterday. "This will be a good experience for him but he will be going home in a few weeks. The prizemoney here isn't as good as it is in Japan!"
