2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Meeting Tips – DS
2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day Preview
It was gutting that Junko got pulled at Longchamp. Especially as the two market leaders faltered, just as we hoped. We backed the wrong Dalgleish horse at Musselburgh, Edward Cornelius clearly needed the run very badly. Of course, he won it with his other runner. Sod’s law at its finest. We go back into the breach in Ireland on Monday, Dave Stevos’ 2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day tips are below.
1.20 – Irish EBF Median Sires Maiden (2yo)
First up at the Curragh on Sunday is this restricted 2yo maiden. The bookies make Jim Bolger’s Neo Smart the favourite after her neck 2nd on debut on heavy ground here behind Porta Fortuna. It was a solid debut effort and she gets weight from the rest of them.
Oisin McSweeney takes 5lbs off Uncle Albert’s back and he looks the most overpriced of those with form. It was probably a stronger maiden than Neo Smart’s he ran in last time and he showed lots of speed before tiring late inside the final furlong. He ought to improve with that experience under his belt and the son of Dragon Pulse should run another nice race.
Kieran Cotter also runs Ocean Baroque and he’ll be ridden by another 5lb claimer Jake Coen. He is a shorter price than his stablemate so the son of Caravaggio must be giving the right signals at home. Again, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him run a big race.
Last year we nearly landed a monster place in a Curragh maiden with a horse of Kevin Coleman’s called With Love. We backed her at 125/1 and she just missed out on e/w money in 4th, beat 2.75L for the win.
Seamie Booked
Pretence isn’t as big a price here at just 25/1 but the booking of Seamie Heffernan suggests a decent showing is expected on debut. Heffernan is Coleman’s go to jockey with 5 winners and 13 top 4 finishes from just 35 rides.
Three of those wins came on Juveniles and Coleman has had a winner and two 4ths from just 7 previous 2yo runners at the Curragh. This filly is by a rock solid sire in Make Believe and she is a half to a 2yo winner in Cailin Mor. A bit of an ease should suit and she could outrun her odds on debut. Keep stakes small though, it is an educated guessing game with these debutants with no previous form to go on.
2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day Tip: Pretence e/w @ 25/1
1.50 – First Flier Stakes (Listed)
Eight runners in this Listed heat for the 2yos. Noche Magica, an extremely impressive winner on debut at Cork, beating Sturlasson who reopposes here, heads the market. The runner up had the advantage of a previous run so you would imagine that he should uphold the form, especially on soft ground. The next three in the betting are all unraced.
His Majesty, by No Nay Never, is 4/1 for O’Brien and Heffernan and Unquestionable, a rare Al Shaqab runner for O’Brien, is the mount of Wayne Lordan. The son of Wootton Bassett is 11/2. The fact they are both starting out in Listed company suggests that they’ll be sharp enough but even so, Aidan O’Brien’s 2yos can often improve plenty for their debuts.
Murray Pair
Good luck working out what is going on with the jockey bookings on Adrian Murray’s pair. Kevin Stott, Amo’s retained jockey, is booked for the debutant Valiant Force, owned by Rachael O’Callaghan. Amo’s Bucanero Forte, who beat Sturlasson on debut with Stott on board, is the mount of Dylan Browne McMonagle. Kia Joorbachian certainly moves in mysterious ways! I thought Bucanero Fuerte was very impressive on debut and he could be the value of the market leaders at 15/2.
Sturlasson has 2.75L to find with Bucanero and 3.75L to find with the fav. This son of Invincible Army (who had a winner at Musselburgh on Sunday) has shown lots of speed on both runs so far and Declan McDonogh maintains the partnership. No doubt he’ll make a bold bid from the front again, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if he hangs on for some black type.
Massive odds
At monstrous odds, I’m going to take a chance on Love Ya here. Trained by Kildare handler Willie McCreery, this daughter of Bungle Inthejungle is from a family her trainer knows well. In fact, her full sister Loveday finished 2nd in this race at 28/1 in 2021 after finishing 3rd in a maiden in Dundalk.
Love Ya was also 3rd in a Dundalk maiden on Debut but she went even closer than her sister. It was admittedly slightly better ground in 2021 but Loveday handles soft and she was only beat 0.5L on heavy on her last start of 2022. This does look a deeper race than the 2021 renewal but McCreery wouldn’t be running her unless he thought she could nick some black type so at 100/1, a small e/w interest is advised.
2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day Tip: Love Ya e/w @ 100/1
2.25 – Irish EBF Tetrarch Stakes (Listed)
It is such a pity that only six run in this Listed heat. Madrid Handicap winner Paddington heads the market at 11/10 but it is the horse that chased him home at Naas that I am interested in. Duke Of Leggagh is by an unfashionable sire, is rated 84 and he is already gelded so on paper, he is hardly an ideal candidate for a race like this.
However, I am convinced that this lad has the potential to be a 100+ horse for the Mulvanys. I was at Navan the day he won over 10f on heavy ground and he absolutely powered home. It must have taken Gary Carroll half a mile to pull him up. Last time at Gowran he was nailed on the bob by Tea Olive and Colin Keane but 20 yards after the line he was 2 lengths in front. Keane knew if he got into a battle with Duke Of Leggagh he would have lost, so he had to time his challenge perfectly.
This horse is going to stay a lot further than a mile in time. However, on the soft ground at the Curragh he might just get away with this trip. I’d imagine the Mulvanys have some of the major staying handicaps in mind at the backend of this season and a good run here should see his mark hiked up enough to get him into those big races. The more rain that falls, the better for this lad and even with just two places on offer, I can’t let him go unbacked at odds of 66/1.
2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day Tip: Duke Of Leggagh e/w @ 66/1
3.00 – Irish EBF Fillies Handicap (3yo)
A tricky fillies handicap. Love Ya’s half-sister runs for McCreery here with Nathan Crosse again booked for the ride. This filly became disappointing after her debut win on soft at Navan last October. She struggled on her next start at Dundalk in a nursery off 83 then ran ordinary back to back races on testing ground at Bellewstown and Gowran earlier this month.
She’s down to 78 now from 83 but on what she has produced thus far this season, the first time hood will need to elicit monumental improvement for her to trouble the judge.
Usually, handicap debutants are horses I’d avoid. However, I’m going to make an exception for Net A Porter Queen. One of two trained by Jessie Harrington, this filly is the mount of Chris Hayes. Dusty Foley is on Snowcapped but I’m hoping he’s on her because he might be struggling to do 8st 7lbs in this early stage of the season. That’s the lowest weight he has done in the last year and that’s what Net A Porter Queen will carry.
Able Deputy
Hayes is a more than able deputy. He has ridden a couple of winners for Harrington in the past and he has no problems doing light weights. This daughter of Sioux Nation produced her best run here over 6f on debut, staying on well and shaping as though 7f would suit. She was just behind the 81 rated Freedom Falls and 4L behind the 97 rated winner so 71 looks a more than fair opening mark. A quiet third maiden run at Dundalk should have blown away the cobwebs and if she repeats the form of her debut run, she could go close at odds of 16/1.
2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day Tip: Net A Porter Queen e/w @ 16/1
3.35 – Irish EBF Athasi Stakes (Group 3)
English raider Queen Aminatu is the 6/4 fav for this 7f Group 3. William Haggas trains this 4yo daughter of Muhaarar and she arrives on the back of an a/w hat trick. She was placed in an Ascot Listed race back in October on good to soft, her best turf run, and she was placed in a handicap on soft so the ground should be ok. Haggas was hardly expecting it to be like the road in Ireland at this time of year so presumably he came in the hope of a bit of soft ground.
The second fav Just Beautiful has shown by far her best form on quicker ground. She is 0/4 on ground with soft in the description and 3/4 on good or quicker. Agartha has won a C&D G2 on soft but that run stands out as being her only top class effort on easy ground. She does handle a bit of cut so if the ground dries out her class might see her involved at the finish.
Star To Shine?
Star Girls Aalmal ran a lovely race on soft/heavy here on her reappearance. She was 4th in the Irish Guineas and in the Jersey Stakes last season, so she has class. Her only turf win to date came when winning a 4 runner affair at Gowran and that was on soft ground. It could be her first time to shine in Stakes company.
She’s only 5/1 though, not much use to those looking for e/w value at big odds. At a working man’s price, Clever And Cool has the ability to outrun her odds for Jim Bolger, if she puts it all together. The daughter of Vocalised will definitely relish the ground, there is no doubt about that. The worry is her propensity to fall out of the stalls.
She was slowly away yet again last time in a Listed sprint at Cork (6f sft/hvy). To get to within 3.5L of Tenebrism and finish a head in front of Moss Tucker (admittedly undercooked) was no mean feat and this extra furlong looks sure to suit. Bolger has reached for the cheekpieces in a bid to get this filly to start on terms. If she does, she is capable of hitting the frame at 40/1. If she doesn’t, at least we will know our fate quickly.
2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day Tip: Clever and Cool e/w @ 40/1
4.10 – Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes (Group 2)
Just seven run and with no firms offering extra places, a race I’ll sit out. Insinuendo is overpriced at 10/1 for sure and if you are considering backing her, I wouldn’t put you off. If both O’Brien horses are fit they’ll be tough to beat though so a race to just watch an enjoy. No bet.
2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day Tip: No Bet
4.45 – Apprentice Handicap (75=10st)
Off a mark of 79 Verhoyen simply has to be backed at odds of 16/1. Michael Grassick’s son of Piccolo is now an 8yo but he should be coming to hand now after three outings this season. Last year he came back off a mark of 89, ran three poor races then absolutely hacked up over this C&D on his fourth start. That win came off a mark of 85, he is now 6lbs lower.
He also takes a pretty marked drop in class today. Grassick’s charge is used to taking on a much better calibre of opposition than this and Joey Sheridan is one of the most accomplished jockeys in this race. The yard has yet to have a winner this season, hopefully this brilliant old servant can get them off the mark at odds of 16/1.
2023 Curragh Mooresbridge Stakes Day Tip: Verhoyen e/w @ 16/1 (5 places) NAP
5.20 – Keadeen Hotel Handicap (47-75)
Just the 26 runners in this closing 6f sprint, an easy get out of jail race. The old warrior Geological always deserves a mention. Damian English’s charge is now an 11yo so you’d have to think he’ll need this on his first run of the campaign. I put up Even Flow for a 6f sprint here back in March but she was pulled on the day of the race. She eventually made her reappearance a month later and she ran a massive race off 58, beat just 3L and finishing 6th of 23.
This daughter of Fast Company loves cut in the ground and when she gets it, she is a consistent filly. She ran a string of decent races on her last few starts for Willie McCreery, all on yielding/soft ground. Since moving to Watson last year she has had five runs and last time was the first time she got her favoured conditions. It was no surprise to see her bounce back to form and this slightly better ground will suit her. Shane Kelly keeps the ride and hopefully he can steer Even Flow into the money at odds of 33/1.
