The all-powerful Coolmore, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore dominated racing at The Curragh, Ireland, on Sunday, with the team completing a four-timer.
The day’s feature race, the Group 3 TRI Equestrian Gladness Stakes saw Lancaster House (9/4f) win the contest for the second year in succession, with the son of Galileo pulling clear by two-and-a-half lengths at the end of the seven-furlong race.
Lancaster House, running in the colours of Mrs Gay Smith, wife of Coolmore partner, Derrick Smith, took the lead at the two furlong pole. None of the opposition was able to go with him as he surged ahead of Current Option and Know It All, the eventual runner-up and third-placer respectively.
The five-year-old winning entire is out of US Grade 2-winner Quiet Oasis, who is a full sister to Group 3 winner Young Pretender.
The winning handler Aidan O’Brien said of Lancaster House:
“He’s a very solid horse – and it’s a nice bit of ground, which he likes. Ryan (Moore) was very impressed with him and felt he had loads of horse. He finished very well.”
The Group 3 Holden Plant Rentals Alleged Stakes over 1 mile 2 furlongs was won by Broome (1/2f), a son of Australia.
The five-year-old, fourth in the 2019 Investec Derby at Epsom, England, behind his ill-fated stable companion Anthony Van Dyck, was slow into stride in the early part of the race.
Ryan Moore began pushed him along in the home stretch before he stayed on well in the closing stages to fend off runner-up Thundering Nights, trained by former Breeders’ Cup-winning jockey Joseph O’Brien, and Up Helly Aa, who placed third.
Aidan O’Brien, commenting on the winner, admitted:
“He’s a lovely horse and will probably love going back up to a mile and a half. It was nice that he didn’t have to make the running, and Ryan (Moore) was very happy with him.”
Broome’s likely next assignment is the Group 2 Coolmore Scottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes over 10 furlongs back at The Curragh on 3 May 2021, before he is upped in distance to a mile and a half for the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom on Friday 4 June.
O’Brien and Moore opened the card with victory in the Irish Stallion Farms Maiden over 6 furlongs. Glounthaune (9/4jf), named after a village in County Cork, was a tenacious winner on debut in the colours of Mrs Evie Stockwell, mother of Coolmore magnet, John Magnier.
The two-year-old son of Kodiac stayed on strongly when pressed inside the final furlong by Castle Star, holding off the Starspangledbanner colt by a neck, with two-and-a-quarter lengths further back to Kirsapp in third.
Evie Stockwell enjoyed much success previously with Kodiac progeny in the form of Fairyland, winner of the Group 1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five at The Curragh in September 2019.
Wordsworth, another son of multiple-time champion sire Galileo, was a two-length victor in the TRI Equestrian Irish EBF Maiden over 1m 3 furlongs.
Wordsworth, called after the English poet William Wordsworth, was second to Cazoo Epsom Derby favourite High Definition on his only prior start in August 2020. Wordsworth is a full brother to Group 1 Doncaster St Leger and Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris winner, Kew Gardens.
The three-year-old holds entries in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas over a mile at The Curragh on 22 May 2021 and is also nominated for both the Cazoo Derby at Epsom on 5 June 2021 and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on 26 June 2021.
With the first European Classics of the season less than a month away, many more of the Ballydoyle-trained Coolmore partners-owned top horses will take to the racecourse in the coming weeks.
Past The Wire will bring you continued coverage from Europe throughout the season.
Photo: Courtesy of The Curragh Racecourse
