Performance Review

May 2025

Having been knocking on the door with five seconds in the space of a month previously, it was great for all the team and our owners to get a run of winners going in May. Thankfully, the horses have been running very well on the whole and that helped us to four winners during the month.

Three of those came as important first wins for fillies in maidens, including Navy Waters over an extended 10 furlongs at Down Royal. I thought Nathan gave her a lovely ride and the filly reacted really well to what was being asked of her, albeit she still minds herself a little. She had two rock-solid runs to begin her career when second at Limerick and Ballinrobe prior to this, so I’m delighted she managed to win for a new owner in Miceal Sammon, who bred her and knows this family very well.

First win for Navy Waters at Down Royal

Like Navy Waters, Shoney went from finishing second in a maiden at the beginning of the month to going one better in really good style for her owner-breeder Michael Ryan at Tipperary. She’s a fast little filly and made all under Billy to win by a nice margin. I think she’s an honest type, she’s by a brilliant sire in Mehmas and she comes from a smart family on her dam’s side too. It’d be lovely to get some blacktype with her before the season is out.

Shoney wins in style at Tipperary

Gypsy Queen also won her sprint maiden pretty comfortably with Billy at Fairyhouse. She had been very slowly away on her debut at Limerick but was much more professional early this time and got the job done by four and three quarter lengths. She’s a homebred for Al Shira'aa Racing and she’s been given an opening mark of 87, so we’ll have a think about options for her coming up.

A comfortable win for Gypsy Queen at Fairyhouse

Hats off to Mogwli for notching up the seventh win of his career at Gowran this month too. He’s been a fair stalwart for young riders to get experience on in the yard, and Megan Telford-Kelly became the fifth different apprentice to win a race on him in the mile handicap here. It was a great result for Megan, who works hard with us, and I’d imagine we’ll keep running the horse in similar types of races whenever it’s suitable.

Lucky seven for Mogwli at Gorwan

For all that we converted plenty of good placed runs from previous months into winners during May, there was also a share of frustration with hitting the crossbar too. Enfranchise, who ran a cracker when runner-up in a Group 2 at Hoppegarten for Nathan, was one of eight seconds for us over the course of the month, but she ran a cracker and only just missed out in a photo.

She tries hard for her owner Annette Mee and did nothing wrong on the day under a good ride. For all that she’s won on heavy ground in the past, I’m not totally convinced she needs conditions really testing. She’ll take her chance in the Group 3 Munster Oaks at Cork next.

Jancis didn’t lose much in defeat either when a close second in the Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes at Gowran Park. I’m not sure she was seen to best effect tactically on the day but, having said that, I have a feeling the ground was overwatered anyway because other runners belonging to us on the same card typically want softer ground than how it was officially described. I was disappointed she wasn’t given more of a chance with the ride she got in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh afterwards. She was still only beaten three lengths by a multiple Group 1 winner in Porta Fortuna.

It was a great result on that same Gowran card to get blacktype with a homebred filly of ours called Fairy Wings, who finished second in the Listed Vintage Tipple Stakes. She had been progressing away nicely at the end of last season, winning her last two starts of the year at Gowran and Galway, but this run helped take her rating to another level. Having started out winning off 64, she’s now up to 92.

The next time you hear about Fairy Wings, hopefully it will be as a new mother. A decision has been made for her to head to the breeding sheds, where hopefully can produce some smart stock in her next career.

Jet Black Jewel flashed home to finish second on her debut at Leopardstown for Brian Gravin, who bred her, and Paschal Kellaghan. It was a cracking first start from a good-looking three-year-old and she’s since been sold to continue her career in California. We hope she’s lucky for her new connections.

It was a pity to see Stella Alpina just edged out by a nose in a six-furlong maiden at Cork, pulling nearly five lengths clear of the rest of the field. She did receive a bit of interference close home too, but fingers crossed she’ll be able to go one better in due course. She’ll go to the Curragh for something similar next.

Edergole's Angel has started her season with two decent runs, not beaten far in third at Bellewstown in April before finishing second at Fairyhouse to an improving winner. She got caught a bit flat-footed when turning in and stayed at it from there over the mile and a quarter. We’ll try her over a little further at Limerick next time.

Finally, on the same card at Fairyhouse, I thought Great Mover did well to only be beaten a length in third after getting cut off on the home bend. In the circumstances, it was a pity to see her get a 2lb rise from the handicapper afterwards. She’s a very honest type who tries hard, so hopefully we can get a win for the Probity Racing Syndicate. Her next target will be Cork over a mile on June 13th.

All in all, I’m delighted that the horses seem to be happy and healthy; 27 of our 34 runners in May returned with prize money (79% of all runners). They get out to the paddocks every day after riding out and I think that’s been a real benefit for them mentally. It seems to be keeping them in a good place.