Happy connections welcome White Birch back to the winner’s circle at The Curragh. (Breandán Ó hUallacháin Photo)
By Breandán Ó hUallacháin
White Birch maintained his excellent start to the season, defeating dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
The four-year-old son of Ulysses, who was third to the Coolmore partners-owned Auguste Rodin in the Betfred Derby at Epsom, England, last year, began his 2024 campaign with a win in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes at The Curragh last month.
The John Murphy-trained colt then took the 10-furlong Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes at the same racetrack at the start of May.
His Tattersalls Gold Cup win is the grey’s first Group 1 success of his career and is also a first for his County Cork-based conditioner, John Murphy, who is ably assisted by his son, George.
Ridden by multiple Irish champion flat jockey Colin Keane, the 15/8 chance was marginally headed in the betting market by his more illustrious rival, Auguste Rodin, a son of Japanese sire Deep Impact, at 11/10 favourite.
With rain falling prior to the Group 1 contest over one mile two furlongs at The Curragh, County Kildare, Keane positioned the eventual winner on the inside of his main rival in the early stages of the race.
Halfway down the home stretch, once Ryan Moore asked Auguste Rodin to make his move, Keane and White Birch comfortably entered the fray on their outside with the champion jockey looking confident in the saddle.
Auguste Rodin and Moore had a battle on their hands, as the Ballydoyle inmate was hoping to improve on his poor performance in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March when he finished last of the runners.
The grey, White Birch, who is out of four-time racecourse winner Diagnostic, showed his ability to accelerate as he quickly left the betting market leader in his wake putting three lengths between himself and the eventual runner-up, Auguste Rodin, while Crypto Force was another eight lengths behind in third place.
White Birch makes his sire, Cheveley Park Stud-based Ulysses, the 50th son of the late Coolmore stallion Galileo to produce a Group/Grade 1 victor.
“Brilliant – I have waited a long time for one as good as him. I’m stuck for words to be honest,” admitted George Murphy.
“He’s really good – aren’t we lucky?” added his faither, John. “Someone told me he’s the first Group 1 horse trained in Cork.”
Speaking of the winner, who was bought by Tally-Ho Stud for 75,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, and subsequently went through the sales ring during Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Colin Keane said:
“He has done nothing but improve from run to run this year. He has matured a lot from three to four. Our lad showed his class and how he has improved from three to four. I thought it was a very good renewal of the race. He’s just a very good horse.
“We were happy pretty much from flag fall where we were. When we turned in, we had the luxury of being able to get out on our own time, ease up to Ryan (Moore) when we wanted to, and when asked he was able to quicken clear.
“I suppose the rain came in time to help him, but we didn’t really have a worry about the ground,” Keane concluded.
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot next month and the Juddmonte International at York in July were mentioned as possible mid-season targets for the striking grey.
