RACING

Ryan McElligott

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After producing a superb display which bore all the hallmarks of a top class middle distance filly, the Jim Bolger-trained Pleascach was unquestionably the standout equine performer on show in Ireland last week.

The daughter of Teofilo showed plenty of promise in two starts last year and shaped up well on her return to action at Navan last month but her wide margin triumph in the Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes at Naas saw her move on to an entirely new level. Her dominant eight and a half length dismissal of the capable Zannda in the Blue Wind served notice that this filly is ready to bag a top level success this summer.

Immediately after the race thoughts were that this filly would head for the Epsom Oaks with cast iron claims but Bolger instead indicated that Ascot’s Ribblesdale Stakes followed by the Irish Oaks would be his preferred route.

Naas

A decent fixture at Naas yielded a treble for Bolger and the trainer also has much to look forward to with Round Two.

The Teofilo colt produced the most taking effort from a juvenile in Ireland so far this season in making a successful debut in a six furlong conditions race where he readily accounted for the impressive course winner Argentero.

A Coventry Stakes bid is now on the agenda for Round Two and, even at this relatively early stage of the season, he looks a high calibre two-year-old.

Navan

On Sunday Forgotten Rules was the star turn as he made a winning comeback in a good edition of the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan. In just two flat outings last season the Dermot Weld inmate developed into a top drawer stayer and there was a lot to like about this victory. In a true run race he turned in a good effort on his first start since October to account for the race fit Answered who was in receipt of five pounds.

This five-year-old is very much the one to beat in next month’s Ascot Gold Cup but his trainer did warn that he doesn’t want the ground too firm which is something to bear in mind.

Punchestown

The jumping action was of a low key variety last week but there were a couple of performances of note at Punchestown on Saturday and the successful chasing debut of The Game Changer stood out.

A talented hurdler, he took really well to this discipline and it will take quite an effort to lower his colours through the summer months as he looks a way above average sort for summer novice chases.

Amercian Pharoah on course to conquer

On the other side of the Atlantic the prospect of America’s first Triple Crown winner since 1978 is once again tantalisingly close as American Pharoah followed up his Kentucky Derby victory with a front running tour de force in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico last Saturday.

American Pharoah will now head to New York for the Belmont Stakes in two weeks time with a terrific chance of becoming the twelfth Triple Crown winner in American racing history. The colt’s trainer Bob Baffert failed by only a nose to complete the feat with Real Quiet back in 1998.