Performance Review

May 2022

Thankfully things have been coming along nicely as the season develops here at Rathbride, and we were delighted to send out three lovely winners during the month of May.

It was a particularly good spell for the Niarchos family's Cigamia, who ran a cracker to earn black type when runner-up in the Group 3 Athasi Stakes at the Curragh before getting her head in front in a median auction fillies' race at Killarney.

She's a filly we've always liked and that was her second success for us, having won a maiden at Naas on her debut last season. All being well, the plan is for her to run in the Sandringham Stakes on day four of Royal Ascot.

Cigamia gets her head up front at Killarney

It was nice to bring up a double on the same card at Killarney thanks to a good performance from All Lies Ahead in the mile maiden. She's a lovely filly bred by Dave Hyland, so this was a great result for him and his wife Sarah, and hopefully she can continue to progress. We'll now look towards a handicap at Gowran in early June.

All Lies Ahead makes it a double on the same card at Killarney

I was very pleased to see Charlemont, who we had bought as a foal, get off the mark at the first time of asking at Navan during the month. He won his maiden very well by five lengths. Since then he has been sold to continue his career in Hong Kong, and hopefully he goes on to have a good career there for his new connections.

Charlemont wins his maiden by five lengths at Navan

Morning Approach ran a blinder to finish second in a competitive 26-runner handicap at the Curragh on Guineas weekend. That form has been boosted since, with the winner going in again at Leopardstown on his next start. It looks like our filly is well suited by a galloping track and well-run race, so fingers crossed she can get her turn again before long.

Sceolan showed up well on her first start back on the same weekend at the Curragh too. Considering she was returning from a break in what looked a good fillies' handicap, it was probably her best run to date in finishing fourth. Hopefully she can build on that during the season.

There was also a solid run from Cnodian to finish runner-up on her first start of the season at Fairyhouse. She seems to like that track and is a hardy filly. We'll be doing our best to get into the winner's enclosure again.

I thought it was a nice debut run from Are We Dreaming at Naas during the month. She has a decent pedigree, being out of a Group 3 winner, and she could head to Listowel in June for another fillies' maiden. It was also good to see Any Dream Will Do step forward from her debut at Gowran to finish fourth on her next run at Navan. Her latest run came on good, but I think she might be able to handle an ease in the ground too.

All in all, we're generally happy with how our horses are running at the moment, and we've still got the majority of our two-year-olds to come. Here's hoping we can keep the ball rolling into the busy summer months.