Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) and Abashiri (Frankel) are in contention to represent Godolphin in the first Irish Classics of the season at the Curragh this weekend, with both having pleased Charlie Appleby since their respective outings at Newmarket earlier this month.
Distant Storm finished third behind Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder) and Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) when sent off the 3/1 joint-favourite for the 2,000 Guineas and could be given the chance to upgrade that finishing position in the Irish equivalent on Saturday.
Appleby won the 2022 edition of the Irish 2,000 Guineas with Native Trail, who had previously filled the runner-up spot behind stablemate Coroebus at Newmarket, while he is yet to win the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
“Both Distant Storm and Abashiri worked on Saturday morning, looked great and have come out of their races at Newmarket well, so we're very much keeping an eye on Ireland,” said the trainer.
“On the evidence of Saturday, we'll leave them in. We'll follow it through the week, check their wellness and, more importantly, see who else is going to turn up.”
Abashiri was making just her second career appearance when finishing a creditable fifth in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Having originally been earmarked for a tilt at the Oaks at Epsom, she is now set to stay at a mile for the foreseeable future.
Appleby added, “The filly has definitely come out of the Guineas in great order and that whole experience of the Guineas and Newmarket was a big learning curve having only had one run on the all-weather. She looked a bit clueless when the rest were quickening.
“William [Buick]'s feedback when he got off her was to stick at a mile. His impression was that she was sharp enough to stay at a mile for the minute. We'll either run her in Ireland [on Sunday] or run her in France in the [G2] Prix de Sandringham [at Chantilly] the weekend after.”
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