A number of Ireland's leading trainers and racecourse managers participated in an event to launch the 2016 Irish flat season at The Curragh Tuesday morning. Trainers Dermot Weld, Kevin Prendergast and Willie McCreery spoke to the press as their horses worked on the gallops while Jim Bolger, Aidan O'Brien, Ger Lyons, Johnny Murtagh, Tracey Collins, Adrian Keatley and Johnny Feane later spoke of their plans for the season.
The event also included a visit to trainer Michael O'Callaghan's Crotanstown Stud, where his stable stars include Sunday's Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial winner Now Or Never (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) and G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas contender Blue De Vega (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
“She is so laid back and doesn't show you much at home,” said O'Callaghan of Now Or Never. “She has the [G1 Irish 1000] Guineas ahead of her and possibly the [G1] Coronation S. at Royal Ascot, but if I had to pick a race that is made for her it would be the [G1] Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron S. at Leopardstown on Longines Irish Champions Weekend.”
Blue De Vega was second in The Curragh's Listed Tetrarch S. on seasonal debut May 2, and O'Callaghan said of him, “He came out of the Tetrarch S. at The Curragh very well and will improve quite a bit. All of mine are taking a run this season. We had a wet winter but we didn't rush things and didn't panic. He is a very talented horse and he thinks he owns the place.”
Veteran trainer Jim Bolger has a pair of contenders for the Irish 2000 Guineas May 21 in Sanus Per Aquam (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Herald the Dawn (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), but he spoke conservatively of his chances, saying, “Sanus Per Aquam had a setback earlier in the year and we are chasing a little to get him ready. I only hope I can get him fit enough to do himself justice. Herald The Dawn is another possible runner, but he has to get over Newmarket [where he was eighth in the G1 2000 Guineas].”
Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh spoke of the positive beginning to the flat season in Ireland, saying, “Flat racing has got off to a very positive start this year, with the average field size up from 10.0 to 10.6, and the number of individual flat runners up by 9.6% from 1129 to 1237, from the start of the year up to May 3. We have increased flat prizemoney at both the lower end, where the minimum value is now €9,000, and for our major races, with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby up from €1.25 million to €1.5 million. The total value of Longines Irish Champions Weekend has been raised from €4 million to €4.5 million. The Derrinstown Stud Flying Five will be a weight-for-age contest without penalties for the first time and its prizemoney has been increased to €250,000. With these improvements and the exciting start to the season we have already seen, we expect a competitive flat season ahead.”
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