RACING/Curragh Report: It's not often a trainer wins a Group Three race and on the same afternoon ends up a grand out of pocket but Aidan O'Brien managed it at the Curragh yesterday.
Black Sam Bellamy's no show in the Mooresbridge Stakes in favour of the Prix Ganay in France left the stewards unsatisfied with the "validity" of O'Brien's explanation and they slapped a a1,000 fine on him.
Black Sam Bellamy's last placing in the Longchamp race rubbed some salt into the wound but there was substantial relief from France's success in the Tetrarch Stakes. It was a fourth victory in a row in the Classic trial for O'Brien, and a fifth in all, but the long-term impact could be to highlight the classic aspirations of another colt.
On his first start of the year France was well beaten by Refuse To Bend at Leopardstown. But the O'Brien colt improved for the addition of a visor to beat the English raider Al Turf with his well backed stable companion Dalcassian in third.
"He got no run at Leopardstown. Everywhere he went he got stopped," O'Brien explained. "Mick (Kinane) blamed the fact we took the blinkers off so I put them on today - and took Mick off!" Kinane's commitment in France allowed Seamus Heffernan substitute on France and they secured a run up the rail to score by three-parts of a length.
"He is in the English Guineas next weekend and in the French Guineas too," O'Brien added before giving a positive update on the Newmarket favourite Hold That Tiger.
"He is fine and we'll possibly run another colt in the race as well. We'll decide on Wednesday after they have worked. The plan has always been to run Yesterday in the 1,000 if we get safe ground and we will leave a decision about L'Ancresse until late," he said.
Hold That Tiger got a boost from Italy yesterday when La Vie Dei Colori, who he beat in the Grand Criterium last season, won the Italian Guineas.
However despite the Tetrarch result, Dermot Weld still hasn't committed Refuse To Bend to the Newmarket Guineas on Saturday.
"If it went firm over there he would be unlikely to run and I will have to look at the make-up of the race as well. We will decide during the week," said the Curragh trainer who landed the opener with Steel Light.
Walayef ran out an impressive two-length winner of the Athasi and earned an 8 to 1 quote from Cashmans for the Irish 1,000 Guineas in three weeks time.
The Kevin Prendergast-trained filly will again take on yesterday's runner-up Vintage Tipple who did nothing to dampen the Classic hopes of her trainer, Paddy Mullins.
Prendergast said: "That was her first serious work out and should put her spot on for the Guineas. She could only win as she did."
However, Vintage Tipple's rider Jamie Spencer was impressed with the Mullins horse who is 12 to 1 with Cashmans to win the Irish Guineas.
In Black Sam Bellamy's absence just four lined up for the Mooresbridge and the odds-on Nysaean ran out an impressive all the way winner under Richard Hughes. The Richard Hannon-trained colt could return to the Curragh for the Tattersalls Gold Cup over the same and course distance next time. "If the going is right we'll play," said Hannon's representative, Peter Doyle.
Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen doubled up in the last with the newcomer Multazem who swept past the outsider Nassaro in the closing stages.
"He has been working like a good horse, won like a good horse and is bred to be a good horse. We will see how he fits into the scheme of things," said Weld.
Bear Camp, named after the Arsenal striker Dennis Bergkamp, made most of the running in the seven-furlong handicap to win well. Bear Camp was formerly owned by an Arsenal supporter but trainer Eddie Lynam said: "I would never name a horse after an Arsenal player. I hate Arsenal!"
After racing Hawk Wing (Seamus Heffernan) worked impressively over a mile against the stable companion Arundel (Tom Queally). "That was great and the going will probably have a lot to do with where he runs. But we are aiming at the high summer with him," said Aidan O'Brien.
Conditions at Punchestown could to be on the slow side of good for the start of the five-day Festival tomorrow. Richie Galway, racing director at Punchestown, said: "We had two millimetres of rain at 8 a.m. yesterday so we are still calling the ground good on the chase and hurdle courses and still good to firm in places on the cross country course".
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