Performance Review
June 2023
It was nice to get on the board with three winners across the month of June, including our second Group-level winner of the season with Ocean Jewel in the Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown.
She’s a lovely filly with a great pedigree and I was delighted to win with her in blacktype company for Al Shira'aa Farms, who were recording their first Group winner in Ireland. She’ll have the possibility of going for the Group 3 Oak Tree Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, and also holds an entry for the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown in September. I’ll have a look at the undercard at Santa Anita later in the season too.
Whatever happens over the coming months, I think she’ll be a lovely four-year-old to look forward to next year. She might have even more options open to her then.
Ocean Jewel's Group level win at Leopardstown
Cnodian has been a terrific servant for her owner-breeders Rory and Noeleen O'Toole, and she managed to win for the third time in her career during the month at Limerick.
She wears her heart on her sleeve and is a very tough five-year-old. She gives it her all. There was another rock-solid run from her when second off a higher mark at Tipperary, and hopefully she can maintain that sort of form as the season continues.
Third win in her career for Cnodian at Limerick
There was also a first win for Ballylinch Stud’s Fernao when winning a Listowel maiden by eight lengths. He had previously been placed in his two maiden starts so wasn’t winning out of turn, but it was still good to see him put up a smart performance in getting off the mark.
First win for Fernao at Listowel
Cigamia was a nice filly last season for the Niarchos Family, winning the Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes at Killarney last summer, and she started her 2023 campaign with a decent second in the newly-established Darley Irish EBF Kooyonga Stakes at Navan. We’ll look towards the Brownstown Stakes with her next month at Fairyhouse.
Coill Na Sionainne never seems to run a bad race at Leopardstown and she came home well to finish second in a competitive handicap there this month. She’s been a consistent filly for her owner-breeder Nicolas Varney and there should be more handicap options for her over the coming weeks, though the handicapper might have her measure for the moment.
It was Loveday’s best run of the season when not beaten far in third at Down Royal in a five-furlong handicap. She hasn't been the easiest filly to keep right so we’ll see how she gets on over the next while with a view to her future.
Finally, our old stalwart Downforce deserves a mention after finishing third in a sprint handicap at Listowel that has been working out well since. His target will be the Galway Festival, where hopefully he’ll get his favoured dig in the ground.
It’s been a good month on the track for the team here, and fingers crossed we can continue to find some more quality winners as we head into the second half of the year.