Performance Review

May 2023

We were delighted to have our first winner for owners Clipper Logistics this month when Collage, a lovely three-year-old filly by Churchill, got off the mark in a maiden at Tipperary.

She had just been touched off by a head on her only other start at Gowran a month earlier, so it was good to come out on the right side of things this time around. I think she’s a nice filly who will take a bit of time going forward, but we’re looking forward to her for the future.

Collage gets off the mark in a maiden at Tipperary

Lovejoy showed up well when runner-up in a seven-furlong handicap at the Curragh during the month too, and actually finished behind the same filly that Collage bumped into at Gowran. The ground was a bit fast for Lovejoy when we ran her back at the Curragh later in the month and we have a few little things to iron out. Once we get those sorted, I think she’ll do fine.

Hopefully it shouldn’t be long before Fernao gets his turn in a maiden after he finished second over a mile at Killarney. It was just his second start and he’s still learning his trade, but I think he’s a grand horse for the future for his owner-breeders Ballylinch Stud.

Insinuendo ran two good races over the course of the month at the Curragh, finishing fourth in the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes before her third in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes when dropping back to a mile. The ground ended up being quicker than ideal for her last time and our next target is probably the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes back at the Curragh on July 1st.

I thought Ocean Jewel ran a lovely race when third - and only beaten three quarters of a length - in the Group 3 Lacken Stakes at Naas. She can be a bit hard on herself at times but came home really well up the hill on her first start of the season. We’ll see how she gets on when stepping up to seven furlongs for her next start in the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown next month.

Amazon Lady wasn’t beaten all that far either when fourth in a sprint handicap at Cork. We’ll aim to get some black type with her before the end of the year for her owner-breeder Madeline Burns.

On the whole, May was probably a slightly slow month for us on the track. Hopefully things will pick up nicely from here on in.