With twelve of our fifteen runners through to the second round of the Boylesports Irish Derby, including several very good performances, I am getting a real buzz from the whole event.
We have been very blessed to have our strongest ever team, but there are plenty of other quality runners in their too, with Ballymac Matt particularly impressing me. I also love the early pace and class of Farloe Blitz.
Anybody who saw the race would surely have to say Honey was desperately unlucky. She was crowded out it early, showed great determination to push her way through at the first bend and then took probably ten lengths out of the leader between the second bend and the winning line. I couldn’t be anything but thrilled.
Honey has trap one in her second round heat on Thursday and is up against another of our runners, Rural Hawaii.
He has been a great dog for us already this year and I thought he ran really well to win his heat in 29.65.
As I have said before, Hawaii is a lovely dog at home but a bit of a lunatic when he gets to the track. I think the regular racing in the Derby will play right into his hands as it might just take the edge off him, and calm him down. I’ll be absolutely gutted if they both don’t qualify.
We have eight out on Thursday and the first of them is Jo Jo Fantasy in the first heat.
He is a lovely young dog who I really just fancied running in an A3 stake but the owner really wanted to take part in the Derby and the pup didn’t let him down qualifying being Sidarian Vega.
Whether Jo Jo can get to the next stage remains to be seen. He is in a very tough heat with Farloe Blitz and Tynwald Rodney but he is an improving young dog and anyway, it’s all bonus from here in.
Calzaghe Clampet, who beat Honey, has trap three in the second heat. The dog was originally sold to England but the new connections were disappointed in him and sent him back. He was re-sold and joined us.
He is no longer owned by the Calzaghe people but under the rules you are only allowed one name change so he will stay as a Calzaghe.
We gave him a rest and brought him back slowly and he is not a bad type of dog. He did 29.82 in the first round showing a good bit of early. He can be a bit inconsistent at the boxes but I would expect him to qualify as a minimum.
Gaytime Hawk and Ardrahan Zindi both run in heat four.
Hawk qualified in third place, not beaten very far in his heat. Overall, I was pleased with the run which was the first sign of his old form since travelling over to Wimbledon. The draw isn’t too bad in five and I hope he continues to improve.
Zindi is a novice with only eight races on her card including a 28.30 run for 525 at Shelbourne. I thought she ran pretty well last week. She has plenty of ability but obviously lacks experience.
Riverside Pat (ht.5) ran really well to win in 29.49 in the first round but I don’t like his draw so far out in five. This time out I would just be glad to see him qualify.
In terms of what they have achieved so far, most people would probably rate Sidarian Vega (ht. 7) as among our best three chances and he is a dog I love to bits.
Although he is a railer and drawn three, he showed at Tralee that he can cope with most boxes. He went a long way clear in his heat and won in 29.83 when tying up close home. I expect him to come on for that race.
Sidarian Teejay is the first of Saturday’s runners. He reached the semi finals of last year’s English Derby for Dean Childs but has had a lot of injury setbacks.
He has been off a long time but trialled well (28.24 Shelb 525), admittedly on a fast track, and finished second to Honey’s sister Urban Gossip in his heat recording 29.74.
So far he seems to lack a bit of early but is a fast dog. I think it is a case of ‘see how it goes’ as far as Teejay is concerned.
Cabra Miller and Hovex Prince are both in heat 14.
Miller is an interesting story. He looked decent enough and was sent over to Pelaw Grange where he made top lot at auction, a figure of about £3,500 as I recall. But he failed a dope test, probably for substances in for knacker meat and was eventually sent back.
He trialled well for me and then ran a good second to Barefoot Artist in the first round.
Prince finished third in that heat with his sister Ballydoyle Honey and Calzaghe Clampet. But he is a dead railer and was drawn in six. I hope he gets a better run from four this time around.
Our last runner is Amazing Dude (ht.15). He doesn’t really see out the 550 trip. He went about ten clear but only won by two and a half lengths in 29.77.
On the positive side, although he finished tired, he came out of the race in better shape than after a previous 550 trial. I am hoping he is even stronger going into Saturday’s heat.
