Hms Seahorse © Photo Healy Racing
Paul Nolan is keeping his fingers crossed Hms Seahorse can bag some of the huge prize-money on offer in the Friends Of The Curragh Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh where the ground on the straight course has dried slightly and is now yielding to soft.
It remains yielding, good to yielding in places on the round course.
Fourth in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and subsequently third in a Grade One at Punchestown, the former Aidan O’Brien-trained Hms Seahorse bolted up on his return to the Flat at the Curragh in June — earning him a hefty 19lb rise in the ratings.
He was beaten at cramped odds back over obstacles at the Galway Festival on his most recent outing and Nolan is hoping he can bounce back in Sunday’s €600,000 feature.
He said: “He’s in good form and I suppose the way he acted on the soft ground at the Curragh the last day, the more rain the better.
“His run in Galway you’d have to say was a bit disappointing, but in saying that the trip was probably a bit short and there was no pace, so I’d rather put a line through that.
“The 19lb penalty is probably as big a penalty as you could get, so we’ll see how he copes with that. It’s very seldom you see a horse getting that much of a whack, so hopefully the handicapper is right.
“No matter what happens, in fairness to the little horse he’s paid his way so far. There’s massive prize-money on offer and hopefully he’ll get some of it.”
The clear favourite is one-time Classic hope Waterville
A half-brother to multiple Group One-winning filly Sea Of Class, the Camelot colt was the buzz horse at Ballydoyle in the spring, with O’Brien mentioning him as a potential Derby candidate before he had even made his racecourse debut.
Those aspirations ultimately went up in smoke, with the three-year-old suffering three successive odds-on defeats before eventually coming good on his handicap debut at Limerick in June.
Waterville was narrowly beaten by the talented Point King on his most recent outing at Leopardstown, and steps back up in trip this weekend after creeping in at the very bottom of the 30-strong field.
Paddy Twomey has a strong hand, with Earl Of Tyrone and French Claim both in the mix
Earl Of Tyrone was beaten just a length into third place in the Ebor at York on his penultimate start, while French Claim was seventh in the St Leger at Doncaster a fortnight ago.
Twomey said: “The St Leger got a bit messy and I’m looking forward to running him on Sunday. He was third in the Irish Derby, he’s got a nice weight (9st 4lb) and I think the softer ground and the extended trip will be a help to him.
“We’re claiming 7lb off Earl Of Tyrone. He was third in Ebor and the mile and a half might have been a bit short for him around Leopardstown the last day.
“This will probably be more his thing and Daniel King is a very good rider, so fingers crossed.”
Other hopefuls include Echoes In Rain — one of six runners declared by Willie Mullins, although Scaramanga is a reserve — and the Ger Lyons-trained Yaxeni
The two main supporting races to the Irish Cesarewitch are the William Hill Ireland Renaissance Stakes and the Weld Park Stakes, both of which carry Group Three status.
Last year’s winner Art Power returns to defend his crown in the Renaissance for Tim Easterby — and is joined on the trip across the Irish Sea by the James Horton-trained Sam Maximus Just Beautiful a winner at Listed and Group Three level in Britain for Ivan Furtado last season, disappointed on her first start for Twomey and Moyglare Stud Farm on Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown — but the trainer is anticipating an improved performance on Sunday.
He added: “I felt she needed her comeback run. With the dry summer, she hadn’t been on grass and she was just a bit ring-rusty and I hope she’ll come on for it.
“She’s a strong traveller and I think on a straight track, dropping back in trip, she’ll run a very good race on Sunday and return to something like her previous form.”
