Fran Berry picks out three recent runners from Ireland to add to your My Stable trackers – check out his thoughts and the free video replays.
KATASHUNA made her debut in Naas last Saturday, when a stable second string in the red cap of the late Aga Khan, and this filly, after a slow start, made eye-catching progress inside the last furlong having been denied a clear run between the two and the one-furlong marker.
She had to fight for a gap to get running between horses at the furlong pole and it was to her great credit that she finished as well as she did, to get within two-and-a-half lengths of the winner and the second.
For all that she’s by Night Of Thunder, one would think she might go out in distance as the year goes on. She may well win a maiden at a mile, but anything she does at that trip I’m convinced she will improve beyond that and she looks a future maiden winner for a team that’s had a good start to the year.
SUMMER IS TOMORROW ran in one of the earliest seven-furlong races run for two-year-olds at this stage of the season and this race has a history of throwing up some good results given the time of the year and the distance that these horses are running over.
Sixth home Summer Is Tomorrow was Joseph O’Brien’s second string, on betting terms at least, and he’s from the family of Archie Watson’s Albasheer. This horse, obviously being by Mohaather, would be more suited to middle distances and Roscommon was quite a sharp track for his debut.
After a slow start he found himself on the back foot with most of the field ahead of him and having being switched to the outer by rider Scott McCullagh, it understandably took him a little bit of time to get organised.
Despite running green inside the final furlong and a half, he finished off strongly to be beaten less than three lengths and he looks one to watch next time.
The opening maiden on Trials Day at Leopardstown produced a very good performance from Zodiac Bear, who showed a sharp turn of foot to go clear of the field inside the final furlong.
PETE’S DREAM was the one to take from the race, though, as he was denied a run repeatedly from the top of the home straight until well inside the furlong pole.
Eventually switched towards the outside, he finished off quite nicely late on to be beaten less than a length and a quarter for the minor positions.
Given the way in which the race panned out for him, one would think he would have been a clear second granted a clear run.
With the promise he showed there, he looks a likely maiden winner for connections going forward, perhaps stepping up another furlong in trip beyond the distance of seven furlongs, but either way his run can be readily upgraded.
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