Finding Out

After beating a possibly rusty G1 Qipco Champion S. winner Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the G3 Mooresbridge S. at The Curragh May 2, Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) bids to underline her superiority on a more level playing field in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh on Sunday. Arguably unlucky not to finish closer than 1 1/4-lengths second to Newtown Anner Stud Farm's homebred in Ascot's feature in October, Found entered their rematch with a sharpening run under her belt, having shaken off the dust with a third in the Listed Alleged S. over the Mooresbridge distance of 10 furlongs Apr. 3. Aidan O'Brien has won six of the editions of this race since it was upgraded to its current status, and said of the reigning GI Breeders' Cup Turf title-holder, “We've been happy with her. Obviously she hasn't done a lot, she doesn't do a lot, but she seems to be in good form. The plan was to give her two runs before the Tattersalls Gold Cup. The first day she just did plenty in soft ground. She let go towards the end of the race. The next day we knew she had progressed and the thing was to let her relax again and she did. We are seeing what she is starting to turn into now. She is starting to turn into something very special.”

Fascinating Rock would have needed his reintroduction and should strip fitter for this race, in which he was a neck second to Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) 12 months ago, and looks the most serious threat to the filly. “I'm looking forward to it and he seems in great form at home,” rider Pat Smullen commented. “Hopefully he'll improve for his run in the Mooresbridge; you would have to expect him to. It's a tough race. Found is a very good filly and looks the main opposition.”

Kevin Ryan re-engages last year's fourth The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who bids to put an anti-climactic 2015 campaign behind him, having won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Irish Champion S. as a 3-year-old. Frank Gillespie's 5-year-old looked at his best on only two occasions last term, when runner-up in Royal Ascot's G1 Prince of Wales's S. in June and in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown the next month, but was way below that when sixth in the latest renewal of the Irish Champion back at Leopardstown in September.

Second in the Alleged and the Mooresbridge, Robert Ng's Success Days (Ire) (Jeremy) needs lots of rain to have a chance in this much more competitive heat. “If the ground is right, he's going to give it a rattle for sure,” trainer Ken Condon said. “He would be lighter and tighter now, but he is a 33-1 shot. Found, in my opinion, is the best horse in training in Europe, and Roger Charlton's horse looks like he's improving and he will probably win a Group 1 race.”