Irish Weekend Review: Deegan one-two in Irish Lincolnshire

The opening five-furlong maiden for two-year-olds went to 25/1-shot Mister Trader who was a notable winner for trainer Darren Bunyan, his twelfth since he saddled his first runners in 2011.Mister Trader was only the second two-year-old winner trained by Bunyan, but he clearly knew his job as he quickly bagged the favoured stands rail from a good draw in stall nine of 12. While Mister Trader forged clear to win by four and a half lengths from Comhghairdeas and his winning rating of 91 was bang on average for the last five winners (90p, 86p, 88p, Dawn Approach’s 99p and 93p), he was seen to maximum effect.

The next two races were also sprints—both over six furlongs—in which the winners came up the near-side rail. Godolphin’s debutant Stenographer took the maiden for three-year-olds and over, though his performance was less about positional advantage and more about raw ability overcoming inexperience. Stenographer did very well to win considering both eventual second Paddy Power and third Sufoof were two lengths in front of him a furlong out and his effort can be marked up, as can that of fourth-placed The Moore Factor who had the worst of the draw on his first start for Dermot Weld. This form looks solid enough with the next three home rated 86, 82 and 88p by Timeform going into the race, and Stenographer (who cost $450,000 as a yearling) has been given a rating of 87p, which signifies his potential to do much better. Stenographer will at least seven furlongs and he’ll reportedly take in a Guineas trial next time (holds entries for the French and Irish versions).

Five of the first seven home in the sprint handicap raced near the stand-side rail, with nine-year-old Bubbly Bellini just prevailing in a tight finish. The horses to take out of the race, however, were runner-up Club Wexford who did well to get right across from his draw in stall 2, sixth Master Speaker who finished with running left, seventh St Brelades Bay who was keeping on when not getting a clear run from well inside the final furlong, and eighth Laganore who may have needed the run and will benefit from a return to around a mile. 

The was a bit of a shock in the Group 3 Park Express Stakes over a mile as 16/1-shot Queen Blossom beat the favourite Devonshire, a victory that looked unlikely two furlongs out when Queen Blossom still had most of her rivals in front of her and last year’s Irish 1000 Guineas third Devonshire was travelling well in front. Queen Blossom’s new master rating of 105p means she’s just below average in terms of the last five winners (109, 101, 106, Chrysanthemum’s 113 and Lolly For Dolly’s 115) but she scored with a bit in hand and has only had three starts. She’s certainly worth another try at further than a mile and holds an Irish Oaks entry. There was plenty of potential in behind the first pair too, with third-placed Joailliere proving she retains plenty of ability 10 months after finishing in mid-field in the Irish 1000 Guineas, fourth Glamorous Approach making a pleasing return despite the drop in trip looking to count against her, fifth Fluff shaping encouraging 11 months after making a winning start at Navan and comes from a yard (Ballydoyle) whose early season runners in recent years have improved considerably for their first outing. Elusive Approach beat four runners making her debut and is entitled to progress.

Another lightly-raced sort with plenty more to offer is Awtaad who shrugged off top weight (ITC mark of 95) in the seven-furlong handicap for three-year-olds, winning by five lengths from his main market rival Theodorico. Awtaad showed smart form to follow up October's Leopardstown success and will reportedly be aimed at the Irish 2000 Guineas (will stay at least a mile), most likely taking in a trial beforehand. Third-placed Newsman is another to keep on side as his form when getting off the mark at Gowran last autumn is proving strong and he was unsuited by the drop back in trip here.

It was a one-two for owner Robert Ng and trainer Paul Deegan in the valuable Irish Lincolnshire Handicap over a mile, with Sruthan winning by four and three quarters lengths from Aussie Valentine. It was apparently Deegan who insisted Chris Hayes rode Struthan and it proved to be the right decision, certainly for Hayes anyway, as the gelding bounced right back to form to beat the shorter-priced Aussie Valentine, who still ran as well as previously back on turf and back in cheekpieces. Sruthan had something to prove after a disappointing time of it last season (rated 107? before this race), though he’d been given a real chance by the handicapper and on his debut in this sphere, got back to his very best (now rated 116, 2 lb shy of his peak). The official assessor will hit him hard for this, but he's more the capable of proving competitive back at pattern level (beaten a nose in the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown last May). Gabrial’s Kaka did best of the three Richard Fahey runners in third and should remain competitive in these big-field scenarios, while Onenightidreamed shaped better than the result from a hopeless position (drawn very high) on just his second start since winning this race 12 months earlier from a 15 lb lower mark (beat Sruthan in the aforementioned Amethyst Stakes last summer).

The closing mile maiden could prove a warm offer given the first six home of the twenty-five runners represented the yards of Weld, Bolger, O’Brien and Murtagh. The race went to the Weld-trained Embiran who built on his sole start in 2015, when he’d finished runner-up to the subsequent listed winner Moonlight Magic (a potential Derby horse this year) in a Cork maiden in October. Runner-up Stellar Mass clearly has the ability to win a similar event at least, while runner-up Shamreen (stablemate of Embiran) did best of the 12 newcomers and looks a banker for a similar race. Neither of the Ballydoyle pair Claudio Monteverdi and Bravery were unduly punished as they finished fourth and sixth respectively.

While Claudio Monteverdi and Bravery were in competitive action on the card, plenty of their star stablemates took part in some televised gallops after racing, as has become tradition. Among them was Air Force Blue and Minding, and the latest news from the yard suggests Aidan O’Brien is keen to split up his classic big guns this year, with Air Force Blue going and Minding both heading to Newmarket, while Hit It A Bomb and Ballydoyle will likely go for the equivalent races in France.