RACING

Ryan McElligott

Seventh Heaven’s Darley Irish Oaks triumph provided the highlight of last week’s action as she gave her Aidan O’Brien his first domestic classic triumph of the season with much the best effort of her career.

Even though the betting would have suggested otherwise, this looked an especially open Oaks and Seventh Heaven, who didn’t take to Epsom at all when finishing well beaten behind Minding, showed just what she was capable of. With the runner-up spot being filled by the Epsom second Architecture, the form of this year’s Irish Oaks has a solid look to it.

However, there is a lingering feeling that these fillies will need to progress markedly if they are to trouble either the outstanding Minding or the older generation through the second half of the season.

The second day of the Oaks meeting belonged to the admirable Gordon Lord Byron who came right back to his best in the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes.

It is almost four years since this eight-year-old won his first Group 1 contest and for him to have been restored to this level of form at this stage of his career is a remarkable achievement by all his connections. This display fuelled thoughts that he might yet win another Haydock Sprint Cup which came his way in 2013.

The other Group 2 on offer over the weekend was the Kilboy Estate Stakes where Jessica Harrington’s Bocca Baciata was rewarded for her honourable front-running second to Minding in last month’s Pretty Polly Stakes.

This daughter of Big Bad Bob is a high-class sort at her best and would look well equipped for next month’s Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes in Chicago next month.

One to keep an eye on from the two-day Curragh meeting is Rose De Pierre who was quite an impressive winner of a fillies handicap over a mile. This Dermot Weld-trained daughter of Dubawi was having her first run since capturing a maiden at the track in early May and looked every inch a stakes-class filly in this latest assignment. She is one with a fine future.

HRI FIGURES

The publication of Horse Racing Ireland’s half-year figures last week contained some positives but also revealed a notable decrease in on course betting which continues to give cause for concern.

On-course betting with the bookmakers dropped by almost 10% to just over €31m while on-course turnover with the Tote fell by almost 6% to €4.8m. By contrast overall betting with the Tote witnessed a surge of 26% to come in at €44m. It is concerning that the on-course market has struggled to show any discernible signs of recovery in the post-recession era.

The average attendance at race meetings held steady with a total of 3,313 almost identical with the corresponding figures from last year. The number of horses in training in Ireland grew by almost 5% to 7024 while the number of new owner registrations went from 345 to 382.

To switch to Killarney’s July Festival which witnessed perhaps the ride of the season from Pat Smullen who somehow managed to overcome a slipped saddle to win a two-mile handicap on Xsquared. With over a circuit to run, the saddle had slipped right up the gelding’s neck but Smullen deftly negotiated this most perilous of situations to pull off a most improbable success.

The multiple champion flat jockey is unquestionably one of the finest riders in the world and we are in a privileged position to be able to see him in action in Ireland on a daily basis.