Tag Archive for: Zahrann

Zahrann ready to face ultimate test in Irish Champion

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Zahrann will face an acid test of his potential when stepping into elite company for the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes next month.

Always held in the highest regard by trainer Johnny Murtagh, the son of Night Of Thunder quickly bounced back from a momentum-halting second to Ralph Beckett’s Amiloc in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot to stylishly claim the Royal Whip Stakes earlier this month

Having seen off the likes of Aidan O’Brien’s proven Group One performer Los Angeles at the Curragh when regaining the winning thread, connections are now eager to see how the lightly-raced colt fares when moving up to the top level for the first time at Leopardstown on September 13.

“At the moment Leopardstown is the plan and our thinking behind running in the Royal Whip was to see if he could earn a spot in the Irish Champion and we think he did,” said Pat Downes, general manager at the Aga Khan’s Irish studs.

“It’s obviously looking like being a strong race, as it always is, but we’re excited to let him take his chance and see what happens.

“We certainly feel there is more improvement to come, as you need with three-year-olds at this time of the year. He possibly still looked a bit raw the last day at the Curragh, but we were really happy with his win and we’re now looking forward to what he can do against top company.

“We’ll learn a lot about him in that race.”

Zahrann advertises big-race credentials in Royal Whip

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Zahrann produced a tremendous display to regain the winning thread and lead home a Johnny Murtagh one-two in the Newbridge Silverware Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh.

Impressive when winning twice earlier in the season, he missed out on a hat-trick when narrowly denied by Ralph Beckett’s Amiloc in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Despite the defeat, he left the Royal meeting with his reputation firmly enhanced, and as such was sent off 2-1 second-favourite behind Aidan O’Brien’s odds-on market leader Los Angeles in his quest to get back to winning ways in this Group Three event.

It was Murtagh’s 300-1 outsider Tangapour who led the field into the final quarter-mile, but when Zahrann’s jockey Ben Coen asked his mount to bravely squeeze up his stablemate’s inner to make his winning run, he found a willing ally who displayed a race-winning turn of foot close home.

He finished two-lengths clear of Tangapour who in turn tenaciously held off Joseph O’Brien’s Galen for second, with Los Angeles unable to land a telling blow in fourth.

And having passed this stern examination of his credentials, Murtagh is now excited to test Zahrann in Group One company, as he sets his sights on a run in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes on September 13.

Murtagh said: “We wanted to see where we stood today. Ben went the brave man’s route today, got the gap and he quickened up.

Trainer Johnny Murtagh was delighted with Zahrann
Trainer Johnny Murtagh was delighted with Zahrann (Niall Carson/PA)

“I haven’t spoken to anybody yet, but hopefully we’ll be able to go for the Irish Champion. Today was the test.

“It looked in Ascot like he was a little bit slow, but I think a strong mile and a quarter should suit him around Leopardstown. He has to improve again, but he might.

“He’s a very relaxed horse that doesn’t show much at home and is learning on the job. He’s a typical Aga Khan horse and reminds me a bit of Sinndar that when he clicks into gear someday, he might realise how good he is.

“He’s still underdeveloped and I think he could be a really nice four-year-old.”

Royal Whip run could determine Zahraan plans

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Zahrann could set up an exciting autumn if regaining the winning thread in the Newbridge Silverware Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Impressive when climbing the ladder earlier in the season, Johnny Murtagh’s talented colt lost little in defeat when narrowly failing to reel in Amiloc at Royal Ascot and with Group One entries having been made for later in the season, he faces another examination of his potential as he takes on star older horse Los Angeles in this red-hot Group Three event.

Murtagh said: “Everything has gone smoothly since Ascot. He ran great in the King Edward VII Stakes and he came out of it well. We gave him plenty of time to get over it and we’re looking forward now to going to the Curragh.

Zahrann (right) finished second to Amiloc at Ascot
Zahrann (right) finished second to Amiloc at Ascot (David Davies/PA)

“It’s a tough looking race but it will tell us where we’re going for the rest of the season. We hope it goes well at the weekend and we will get that out of the way first then make a plan.”

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Los Angeles heads the market for the 10-furlong contest, but he is on a retrieval mission after disappointing when a well-beaten favourite in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal meeting.

The proven quality in the line-up, last year’s Irish Derby winner is unbeaten at this venue and connections will be hoping the return to Kildare proves inspirational in this stopping point en-route to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Los Angeles (left) winning at the Curragh earlier this year
Los Angeles (left) winning at the Curragh earlier this year (Niall Carson/PA)

O’Brien also looks to hold a strong hand in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial, where Puppet Master has been tasked with enhancing the handler’s fine record in the race.

Willie Mullins will saddle the consistent Absurde in opposition, while Dallas Star will bid to continue Adrian Murray’s dream run at the Curragh after last weekend’s big-race double.

Murray said: “He will be going with a chance. He’s a good horse without being probably a top-draw horse, but a race like this should suit him.

“He got within a couple of lengths of Kyprios earlier in the season and it takes a good horse to do that and I do think he will run a big race.

“He’s probably a little bit short of being that top, top horse, but you’d like to think he can be competitive and I think this trip will be key to him and his forte down the road. I guess we’ll know more after the race on Saturday evening.”

Dallas Star has always been well-regarded
Dallas Star has always been well-regarded (Brian Lawless/PA)

Murray also has strong claims in the Listed Mitsubishi Electric Curragh Irish EBF Curragh Stakes with Ipanema Queen, who impressed over a furlong extra here on debut.

Although struggling to make an impression in what has proven a strong renewal of the Albany Stakes, the daughter of Sands Of Mali bumped into an above-average type when second to Havana Anna in the Marwell Stakes at Naas and is fancied to hit the frame in her second outing at five furlongs.

Murray added: “I expect her to run a nice race, the horses are all very well in themselves and I couldn’t be happier with how they are going.

“She’s a course winner and when you’ve won there it’s a plus. We’re happy to let her take her chance and she’s in great form.”

Zahrann under consideration for King Edward VII challenge

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The King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot next week remains under consideration for Zahrann following his impressive recent victory at Leopardstown.

Narrowly beaten on his Navan debut before bolting up at Cork, the Johnny Murtagh-trained three-year-old faced a significant step up in class for the Listed King George V Cup but overcame signs of inexperience to come from last to first and win going away in the colours of the late Aga Khan.

Murtagh raised the option of a trip to Ascot in the immediate aftermath and Pat Downes, general manager at the Aga Khan’s Irish studs, said on Tuesday: “He will certainly have an entry in the King Edward and beyond that we’re just going to see how he is over the next few days.

“He was obviously still a little bit raw when winning at Leopardstown and we’ll just have to think what is in the best interests of the horse for his next race, but certainly the King Edward is a possibility as we speak now.

“We were delighted with him in Leopardstown, the race was run at a pretty sedate pace so he was a bit further back than ideal and came wide into the straight as well, so I thought he did well to pick them up and win well at the line.”

The possibility of Zahrann being supplemented for the Irish Derby was also mooted, but given the Curragh Classic comes just nine days after his potential Royal Ascot engagement he appears highly unlikely to do both.

“It would be one or the other and I would say, given how he ran at Leopardstown it might be better to take a smaller step with him than a bigger step just at this point in his career,” Downes added.

“He’s got some nice entries for the second half of the year and he’s certainly a horse we would see being effective over 10 or 12 furlongs, so hopefully there’s some good days ahead with him.”

Zahrann could be part of a small but select team of horses to carry the famous green and red silks at the Royal meeting, with his stablemate Reyenzi also pencilled in alongside some major challengers from France.

Reyenzi (third right) in action at the Curragh
Reyenzi (third right) in action at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA)

Reyenzi was first past the post in the Group Three Gallinule Stakes last month before being demoted to third by the stewards after causing interference.

Downes said: “The plan for Reyenzi at the moment is that he’ll run in the Hampton Court. He ran around a bit the last day for sure, but it was only his third lifetime start and hopefully he’ll have learned from that and he’s been in good form since.

“Then the two main ones from France would be Zarigana in the Coronation Stakes and Candelari in the Gold Cup and we’ll probably have a couple of others as well.”