When the chips were down, it was Trading Leather who was carrying the
weightiest punch to prevail in the Group 1 Irish Derby at The Curragh on
Saturday.
Showing he was suited to the Kildare venue’s galloping nature when third in
the Irish Two Thousand Guineas and successful in the June 9 Silver Stakes, The
Coolcullen homebred, who started at 6-1, was kept close to the early
pace-setters by Kevin Manning, which helped his cause as he gained first run on
Galileo Rock and the fancied runners passing the quarter pole. Drawing on his
deep reserves late on, he asserted for a 1 3/4-length verdict over that rival as
the Epsom Derby hero Ruler of the World failed to fire in fifth.
“It’s a wonderful day and a great achievement,” commented trainer Jim Bolger,
who bred the winner, his sire and dam. “I have to give credit to my nephew Ken
who looks after the mare and foaled and reared him and to my staff at Coolcullen
for the wonderful job that they do with him every day. This is the best — I
haven’t had anything like this. Last week at Ascot would have come close, for
obvious reasons, but this is the best.”
Trading Leather made a promising start to his career when chasing home Battle
of Marengo in Leopardstown’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Trial in early
September and built on that with a seven-length maiden score over a mile at
Gowran Park later that month. Taken to Newmarket to contest the Autumn Stakes
over that trip on Future Champions’ Day, the bay mastered the highly-regarded
Hannon trainee Montiridge before coming unstuck on Doncaster’s testing ground
when fifth of seven in the Racing Post Trophy a fortnight later.
At the time of his 1 1/4-length defeat by Libertarian in the Dante Stakes
over an extended 10-furlong trip at York May 16, Jim Bolger was exuding
confidence about the Derby bid of Dawn Approach and so Trading Leather was
denied the chance to build on his fine prep effort at Epsom. Instead, he ran an
admirable race to be third in the Irish Guineas and then an ideal trial for this
classic when subduing Lines of Battle in the Silver, where he displayed a
relentless galloping style on his favored fast surface.
Keen initially before Libertarian’s pacemaker Cap O’Rushes and the outsider
Ralston Road set a tempo that he could settle behind, he was three lengths down
on the former as he was committed on the home turn and took until the quarter
pole to work his way past the race’s surprise package. While Joseph O’Brien was
busy on the 4-5 favorite Ruler of the World and getting no instant response, it
was Ballydoyle’s second-string Festive Cheerwho looked set to present a real
threat but he was stopped in his daring rail-running bid by the hanging Cap
O’Rushes approaching the furlong pole. Galileo Rock was left to throw down the
only meaningful challenge, but Trading Leather was always holding him and was
drawing away again in the final yards.
“He was a bit rusty in the Dante and had been held up a little bit beforehand
as well,” Bolger said. “We’d expected he would improve a nice bit for that and
unfortunately we had to run him in the Guineas so he didn’t get to show it until
the Silver Stakes. I was very happy from flagfall and he just had to bide his
time. We’d have no worried about going back to ten furlongs with him and the
only requirement is good ground.
“He was a little bit slow coming to hand last year and we managed to hold on
to him — I did put him on offer a couple of times, but nobody rushed in. They
could do now, but we need a stallion so we’ll see what happens.”
“It was a true-run race and he picked up and lengthened all the way to the
line,” Kevin Manning said. “He has a will to win and loves that quick ground. He
has everything that you want in a top mile-and-a-half horse and this is one of
the most special ones of my career. It’s a great privilege to win.”
Galileo Rock’s rider Wayne Lordan said of the runner-up, “I was a little bit
flat in the middle of the race and when I got to Kevin (Manning)’s girth
although he tried and ran a blinder, the winner picked up.”
His trainer David Wachman added, “We made a bit of a race of it, so we’re
happy with that and he’s definitely stepping forward. He needs to again to be
competitive at the back-end and he’ll be in the St Leger (at Doncaster September
14) and we’ll see how he is, but good ground is essential and as a four-year-old
he’ll really come into his own.”
Aidan O’Brien said of the disappointing Ruler of the World, “He was a little
bit edgy before the race and Joseph’s first reaction was that maybe that he
didn’t get the mile and a half around here — it is stiff and they went a real
pace the whole way. He won the Derby by quickening and this was a proper test,
so maybe we’ll give him a break and go back to a mile and a quarter. He probably
needs that, so we’ll start him back in the autumn. He is a horse with plenty of
pace and he could go for the Irish Champion Stakes (at Leopardstown September
7), but we’ll see how he goes.”
Keen early while trapped wide in third under Wayne Lordan, Sudirman looked
held by Big Time from 1 1/2 furlongs down until the final 100 yards, where he
gradually began to assert and win the war of attrition in the Group 2 Railway
Stakes for two-year-olds.
Ballydoyle’s Coach House, who was hammered in the market to provide a 12th
renewal, proved a disappointment returning just nine days after breaking Ascot’s
juvenile track record when second in the Norfolk Stakes.
Last of five on debut behind Big Time in a conditions race over six furlongs
at Naas May 15, Sudirman was third next time behind the subsequent Coventry
Stakes third Sir John Hawkins in a course-and-distance maiden 11 days later, but
struck decisively by 4 1/2 lengths at the third time of asking at Leopardstown
June 20.
“He has been a slow learner, but is improving with each run,” trainer David
Wachman commented. “He might step up to seven furlongs now, but I’ll speak to
the owners who were thinking about Glorious Goodwood.”
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