Performance Review
June 2025
It was fantastic to have a winner on one of the biggest meetings of the year at the Curragh, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby day, when Vespertilio put up a lovely performance to win the €100,000 Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Dash Stakes.
She’s been a terrific filly for us and her owners Al Shira'aa, and I’m delighted to get a Listed winner for them at an important fixture like this. We’ve been campaigning her over shorter distances this season and it seems like she’s been enjoying it. She has loads of speed. I think she probably doesn’t do a huge amount once she gets to the front, but Dylan Browne McMonagle gave her a cool ride.
I’m not sure whether there are all that many options for her in Ireland in the immediate future, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for suitable targets. We gave her an entry for the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock in September, and a race like the Group 1 Prix de la Forêt at Longchamp could be a possible if the ground isn’t too testing come that time of year.
Vespertilio wins at the Curragh, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby day
It was actually a great weekend at the Curragh for the whole Vespertilio pedigree, as her cousin Skydance managed to earn Group 2 blacktype in the Airlie Stud Stakes. She ran a cracking race to finish third when stepping into stakes company, having been placed on her only previous run in a maiden. The form of that debut run at Cork has been working out very well too. She’s a Night Of Thunder filly who I really like for Al Shira'aa.
On the same weekend, Party Dress ran better than the bare form suggests when eighth in the Apprentice Derby, having given away a lot of ground at the stalls. It’s been a good month for her, though, having won over two miles and a furlong in a handicap at Limerick under Jessica Maye. Hopefully we can find another nice race for her to show up well again - she stays well.
I was really pleased for Dympna and Michael Deegan to see Germanese win a seven-furlong maiden at Fairyhouse on her first start back from a break this month. Billy gave her a lovely, patient ride and we might go to Galway next for the Listed Corrib Fillies Stakes. Her owners have given her plenty of time and they fully deserved this first success for the filly.
We managed to get another maiden winner on the board when Bellacanta put her best foot forward to win over 10 furlongs in the colours of Madeline Burns. She progressed nicely from her previous two runs and was probably just up against it when running in a Group 3 at Naas a little over a fortnight later. She’s gone home for a break now and we’ll be looking forward to seeing her afterwards on a little ease in the ground. She might be one for Listowel.
Bellacanta puts her best foot forward
Stella Alpina had a really good run when second at the Curragh in a six-furlong maiden, and then a few factors counted against her from a wide draw at Fairyhouse next time out. I think we got our tactics wrong on her last start back at the Curragh when holding her up. She mightn’t have enjoyed that. Hopefully she’ll get her turn before long.
I Do Believe put up her best performance yet when second at Ballinrobe and was later claimed for new connections, while Made U Blush bumped into one when second in a Curragh maiden and is now set to continue her career in Britain. I thought Little Miss P shaped well enough on her two runs this month, third at Gowran before finishing fifth at Limerick. A mile might be a bit quick for her, and she could appreciate slower conditions too.
Likewise, I’d love getting a bit of soft ground for Asdana, who has been running consistently over different trips. I’d view her as one for five furlongs on easy ground, possibly somewhere like Navan, though she could get an entry for Galway as she might enjoy the hustle and bustle around there.
Enfranchise is a very solid filly and ran another creditable race when third in the Group 3 Munster Oaks at Cork, dropping back to a mile and a half from two miles. She’ll take her chance in the Group 3 Stanerra Stakes at Fairyhouse next.
Finally, Shoney ran well to finish third at Down Royal in a sprint handicap where the winner has won again since. We might think about looking for a bit of blacktype for her now.
Having had four winners last month, it was positive follow up with another four during the course of June. Hopefully the horses can continue running well and paying their way into the second half of the year.