Performance Review

September 2018

The highlight of the month for us was the victory of Lethal Promise in the Listed Blenheim Stakes at Fairyhouse on 24 September.

I’m very fond of the filly and I would love to put her away with a view to running in the Group One Coronation Cup at Royal Ascot next year, I think that would be the race to target with her. It’s the one I’m dreaming of winning with her. We just rode her the wrong way on her previous two starts and that just annoyed her a bit, we were riding her to get the trip but she showed at Fairyhouse that she gets six furlongs very well as she was going away from them at the line. I’m delighted she gets six furlongs because that gives us much more options with her in the future.

Victory for Lethal Promise in the Listed Blenheim Stakes at Fairyhouse

Lethal Promise is owned by the Irish National Stud’s Racing and Breeding Club, who also bred her. They are a great bunch of people and it was brilliant to see so many of them at Fairyhouse to enjoy the victory. She’s a good filly for the future and a great one for them, and us, to have. We’ll let her grow into herself and keep dreaming of glory.

Nikeandnemesis had been running well without winning but, once she finally got her head in front, that was it for her and she won back to back races in September. She started off winning a mile nursery at Naas on 19 September and ten days later repeated the trick, but at Navan. I was delighted for young Nathan Crosse, our stable apprentice, who rode her on both occasions. He is a really hard worker and, at Naas, the filly didn’t make his job easy. He learned a lot from that, I thought she didn’t want to go forward in behind horses, so I suggested he pull her out and give her a clear sight at Navan. He did exactly what I wanted him to and she won well at Navan.

She is owned by Barbara and Mark Dreeling who do a lot of breaking for us, and they leased her to the lads from The Spout in Kilcullen who were looking for a horse. It’s brilliant for everyone involved in the filly that she has a couple of wins under her belt as a two-year-old. I think she is better with a cut in the ground and that’s what she needs.

Social Graces broke her maiden in a seven furlong fillies’ contest at Listowel during the Harvest Festival. She made all under Wayne Lordan to win nicely and the filly has improved with every start. We were delighted with her and it was good to get the win, as had been placed on her three starts before going to Listowel.

September started off with a double at Roscommon on the third with Bongiorno taking the three-year-old fillies’ maiden over 10 furlongs and Thiswaycadeaux winning Bongiorno’s previous experience really help her and she looks a proper, tough mile and a half filly. We  had a nice draw and used it, bouncing her out because we know she stays. The last time they sprinted away from her in the straight because she was caught for speed so we weren’t going to get caught out again. She is a homebred filly for Joya Burns and logically, getting blacktype is important for her. We sent her to Galway for the Listed Oyster Stakes on 14 September and she gave her best performance so far, finishing fourth. Hopefully she can build on that and get a blacktype win on her page.

Thiswaycadeaux won a seven furlong handicap on that Roscommon card, and Billy Lee gave her a smart ride. She is progressing well but is a cute filly and she was getting a bit smart with the apprentices. Tracks like Sligo and Roscommon suit her because if she gets into the right position off the bend then she can use her speed. She is a big strong filly and appreciates a bit of ease in the ground.

We put a hood on True To Herself for the seven furlong handicap at Gowran on 6 September and Billy got her nice and settled early in the race. She loved the ground and I was delighted with how the race panned out. That win got her back on track and we can go on from this with her. It’s really good for her owner and breeder Tom McDonald to have a couple of wins with her already.

A few of our two-year-olds were out last month and performed with credit. Elite Trooper Grey was second in an extended mile maiden at Galway on 16 September, ridden by Shane Foley. The winner was an odds-on Ballydoyle runner who went on to be fourth in the Group Two Beresford Stakes so hopefully our lad will break his maiden soon. He is a full-brother to the Group Three winner Penny Pepper and owned by Zhang Yuesheng of Youlong, it’s great to have him join our owners at Rathbride Stables.

We also have Refulgence Star for him, and he was beaten less than a length into third in a mile maiden at Listowel on 13 September. He is improving with every run.

Black Martini made a pleasing debut, finishing fourth in a six furlong fillies’ maiden at Naas on 19 September. She is a well-bred filly as a daughter of Street Sense out of a Medaglia d’Oro mare who won on the turf in America, and owned by Barouche Stud.

As the last few weeks of the season approach, we have 26 winners so far. It’s a good total but, as we finished on 29 last year and the year before, I would love if we could make it to 30 before the season ends. It would be our highest total of winners in a season since I took out my licence and it would be a great achievement for us all here at Rathbride Stables.