Tag Archive for: Beresford Stakes

Harrington expecting Hotazhell to make Beresford mark

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Jessica Harrington expects Hotazhell to continue his progression in the Montane Developments Beresford Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Fourth when favourite to make a successful start to his career at Leopardstown, the Too Darn Hot colt has since won at the Curragh and landed the Group Three Tyros Stakes back at Leopardstown in late July.

He was last seen pushing Henri Matisse all the way at Group Two level in the Futurity Stakes and Harrington believes her charge will improve for the step up to a mile this weekend.

“We’re hoping he’ll run a big race. I think he’s improving and getting stronger all the time, so fingers crossed I think he’ll run a very big race,” said the Moone-based trainer.

“I think the step up to a mile will definitely suit him. We’ve had a fair bit of rain, not as much as Newmarket, but if the ground is on the soft side, that will be fine for him.”

The Beresford Stakes has unsurprisingly been dominated by Aidan O’Brien, with Saratoga Springs (1997), St Nicholas Abbey (2009), Saxon Warrior (2017) and Luxembourg (2021) among his 21 previous winners.

This year, the Ballydoyle handler fires a twin assault, with Trinity College – a 12-length winner on his latest outing at Galway – joined by his blinkered stablemate Lambourn, who followed up a debut victory at Killarney with a Listed triumph at Craon in France.

Joseph O’Brien is represented by Tennessee Stud, who confirmed the promise of his debut third at Galway with a clear-cut win at Tipperary four weeks ago, while the field is completed by Andrew Balding’s British raider Windlord.

O’Brien said: “It looks a good race, as you’d expect, but our horse won well last time and we think he’s going to be capable of competing at this grade.

“I think you’ll find that it will work out a strong race and we’re hopeful our horse can hold his own.

“He won over nine furlongs the last day, so we know he stays and we’re looking forward to running him.”

Windlord in action at York
Windlord in action at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

The Juddmonte-owned Windlord has an impeccable pedigree, being by Dubawi and out of a daughter of Goldikova, and was visually impressive when opening his account at the third attempt at York.

“He obviously ran a big race the last day to win a maiden at York and we’ve had a bit of rain in Ireland, so that will suit him,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.

“I think a mile in the Curragh and on good ground is just perfect. He showed Andrew a nice level of ability and we probably thought he would do that on his second start, but he was still a bit green.

“I think it took the last run for the penny to really drop for him and he was impressive when it did.”

Deepone makes all to give Twomey first Beresford win

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Deepone ensured a new name will go on the Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford Stakes trophy as he provided Paddy Twomey with his first win in the Curragh contest.

Aidan O’Brien has won the Group Two a remarkable 21 times and fielded three runners on this occasion, all last time out winners and he had hired the services of Frankie Dettori for Navy Seal.

Colin Keane took the ride on Grosvenor Square while Gavin Ryan was on Chief Little Rock and with Joseph O’Brien running dual winner Stromberg, Twomey’s Study Of Man colt was almost fighting a lone battle against the O’Briens given the only other runner, Andy Oliver’s Ozark Daze, went off at 150-1.

With that possibly on his mind Billy Lee was ultra-positive on Deepone (3-1), who after winning his first two starts had finished second in a Listed race and fourth behind Diego Velazquez in a Group Two.

With two furlongs to run he had kicked almost five lengths clear and while the gap dwindled close to home, he still had a length and three-quarters to spare over Chief Little Rock who just edged out Grosvenor Square for second with Navy Seal and Dettori only fourth.

Deepone left a host of well bred horses trailing in his wake
Deepone left a host of well bred horses trailing in his wake (Damien Eagers/PA)

“He’s a nice horse, he’s been a work in progress and we’ve been educating him,” said Twomey.

“I felt he had come out of the last race in great form. I said to Billy that I was going to run him again and he kind of looked at me but I said I felt he was in good form.

“He’s a strong traveller and he finds plenty, I think he’s a mile-and-a-quarter or mile-and-a-half horse next year.

“Hopefully for Vimal (Khosla, owner) he’s a Derby horse for next year and that’ll be it for this year now.

“I’ve been dropping him in on turning tracks and there was plenty of traffic. I said to Billy ‘no nonsense today, get out there and let’s go and see if they are good enough’.

“He put them to the sword and I think he’s a good horse.”

Paddy Power cut him to 20-1 from 33s for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Navy Seal on Beresford mission for O’Brien and Dettori

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Frankie Dettori teams up with Aidan O’Brien’s Navy Seal as the trainer looks to regain the Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

When Crypto Force beat O’Brien’s Adelaide River in the race 12 months ago, it was the first time the Ballydoyle handler had suffered a defeat in the Group Two since Casamento won for Michael Halford in 2010.

Among his incredible 21 winners of the race are St Nicholas Abbey, Capri, Saxon Warrior and Luxembourg, but perhaps the most famous winner on the recent roll of honour is John Oxx’s brilliant Sea The Stars in 2008.

The trainer has had to look away from usual jockey Ryan Moore this weekend as he is in Australia to partner Shinzo for owners Coolmore in the Golden Rose at Rosehill.

O’Brien has three strong contenders this year in Leopardstown winner Chief Little Rock (Gavin Ryan), Galway debut winner Grosvenor Square (Colin Keane) and Dettori’s mount Navy Seal, who stepped up markedly on his debut fifth at Killarney to win at Galway.

Navy Seal finished strongly to win at Galway
Navy Seal finished strongly to win at Galway (PA Wire)

“Chief Little Rock came forward nicely to win at Leopardstown but he only just won, we thought he’d win easier than he did but he won anyway,” said O’Brien.

“He’s in good form and we think he’s a horse who is going to progress more. He’s got a stout pedigree and will be staying well next year.

“Grosvenor Square won nicely at Galway, that was only 11 days ago. He’s a lovely, big horse but he was babyish and green there, so we think the experience will do him well. He’s another with plenty of stamina in his pedigree.

“Frankie is riding Navy Seal for us. He won nicely at Galway the last day but he was a little but green.

“He ended up winning nicely at the end and we think he’s ready to go again. The first day we were a bit disappointed, we expected him to run better but he was very green. He was still green the last day, so we’re just hoping that he keeps coming forward.

“Ryan is in Australia and it’s worked out that Frankie is available.”

It is not all about the Ballydoyle runners, though, as Joseph O’Brien’s Stromberg has won his last two by an aggregate of 17 lengths and Paddy Twomey’s Deepone brings Pattern form to the table.