HRI Fact Book 2006 - Horse Racing Ireland

MAY
06
The Tetrarch Stakes at the
Curragh on the first day of
May went to Decado who
put himself firmly in line for a tilt at
the Irish 2000 Guineas three weeks
later with a convincing success. Mick
Halford’s Jazz Princess took the Athasi
Stakes on the same card while John
Oxx’s Alayan proved too strong for
Ace in the Mooresbridge Stakes.
At Newmarket the following
weekend, the Aidan O’Brien trained
George Washington lived up to all
the pre-race hype with a scintillating
victory in the English 2000 Guineas
under Kieren Fallon to give his trainer
a fourth success in the first classic
of the season. Earlier that afternoon,
Con Collins’ young sprinter, Dandy
Man, made it a memorable day for
the Irish with a fine win in the Palace
House Stakes under Niall McCullagh
but heavy overnight rain put paid
to the Irish challenge in the 1000
Guineas twenty four hours later as
Pam Sly’s Speciosa ran out a very
popular 10/1 victor.
The Derrinstown Derby Trial attracted
a decent field of eight runners in
mid-May and Aidan O’Brien’s Dylan
Thomas had too many guns for his
rivals under Seamus Heffernan on his
seasonal debut. The stable completed
a notable double when Queen
Cleopatra took the 1000 Guineas
Trial while Noel Meade’s Arch Rebel
came from last to first to land the
Amethyst Stakes under an inspired
Johnny Murtagh. At York in mid-May
there was further Irish success when
Septimus proved a decisive eight
length winner of the Dante Stakes
although Alexandrova was defeated
by Short Skirt in the Musidora
Stakes and John Oxx’s Kastoria got
bogged down in the mud when
only fourth in the Yorkshire Cup.
The weather turned nasty at
home and several meetings
were rained off but
thankfully the Guineas
Festival at the Curragh in late May
went ahead. Despite the heavy
ground, George Washington started
4/7 favourite for the Boylesports
Irish 2000 Guineas but for the fourth
year in succession, the prize went to
England as Jeremy Noseda’s Araafa
was two lengths too strong for
O’Brien’s charge. There was further
success for the English raiders when
Dandy Nicholls’ Moss Vale made
every yard to land the Greenlands
Stakes and John Joseph Murphy’s
Pout sprang a big shock at odds of
40/1 to take the Ridgewood Pearl
Stakes under Danny Grant.
The following afternoon provided
a memorable result for the Dermot
Weld team as Nightime scored
an emphatic six length win in the
Boylesports Irish
1000 Guineas
in the colours of his mother,
Marguerite, who also bred
this daughter of Galileo.
Earlier, last year’s Irish Derby and
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner,
Hurricane Run, recorded a bloodless
victory over Alexander Goldrun in
the Tattersalls Gold Cup. One of three
winners on the day for jockey Kieren
Fallon, Andre Fabre’s charge made
all the running to win decisively.
Tom Mullins’ Asian Maze was a big
disappointment in the Prix la Barka
at Auteuil but there was better
news for jockey Philip Carberry as he
partnered Francois Cottin’s Princesse
D’Anjou to a memorable success in
the prestigious Grande Steeplechase
De Paris thus becoming the first Irish
or English rider since the legendary
Fred Winter rode Mandarin to victory
in 1962. The month ended with a fine
victory for the 2000 Melbourne Cup
winner, Media Puzzle, in the Savel Beg
Stakes at Leopardstown.
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