Flat season ready for lift off in Ireland as new sires have first runners at the Curragh

Cheltenham is receding rapidly in the rear view mirror and although the spring festivals of Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown are still on the horizon, the action has swiftly moved to the Flat with the first juvenile race of the season in Europe at Lyon Parilly this afternoon.

The Prix du Premier Pas over 900m, short of five furlongs, was won by Cylenechope from the first French-bred crop of Gutaifan, the son of Dark Angel who moved from Yeomanstown Stud to Haras des Faunes.

Bred by Alain Chopard, who developed the stud near Bordeaux, Cylenechope is a half-sister to the Listed Criterium de Vitesse third Laia Chope, a 13-year-old daughter of Soave who is now the dam of Group 3 Prix du Bois and Listed Prix la Fleche winner Livachope, also bred by Chopard.

Cylenechope was sold by Haras des Faunes to her trainer, Kevin Tavares, for €16,000 at the Osarus La Teste Yearling Sale last September.

Gutaifan's best offspring from his time in Ireland is the Grade 1 Beverly D and E P Taylor Stakes winner Fev Rover.

At the Curragh on Monday, Ireland's earliest two-year-olds get the chance to shine in the opening race of the Flat season, the Castle Star and Alkumait at Capital Stud Irish EBF Maiden (1.35). 

The five-furlong contest isn't notable only for its status as the first two-year-old race of the season in Ireland, but also for the identity of the most recent winners of the race.

Last year Bucanero Fuerte, the Wootton Bassett brother to Prix de l'Abbaye winner Wooded, began his season with success at the Curragh for Adrian Murray, Amo Racing and Giselle De Aguiar. He would return to the Curragh in July to win the Group 2 Railway Stakes, defeating subsequent Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Unquestionable and on his third visit to the Curragh, he claimed the season's first juvenile Group 1; the Phoenix Stakes. Bucanero Fuerte was also third in the Group 1 National Stakes, behind Henry Longfellow, and filled the same position in Royal Ascot's Coventry Stakes.

Ocean Quest: first runner and first winner for Sioux Nation when successful at the Curragh in 2022Credit: Clubf

He was preceded by Ocean Quest as winner of the Curragh maiden and the Jessica Harrington-trained filly went on to finish second in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes on her third and final start at two.

Last season Ocean Quest won the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes and Listed Committed Stakes and was fourth to Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup. She was second to The Antarctic in the Group 3 Lacken Stakes.

Ocean Quest hailed from the first crop of Sioux Nation and there are four first-season sires represented by runners in this year's race, including Sergei Prokofiev who, like Sioux Nation, is a son of Scat Daddy.

The 2023 winning connections of Murray and Amo Racing are behind Arizona Blaze, who was bred by Andrew Bengough and partners out of Liberisque, a daughter of Equiano who only raced at three and her sole success came over ten furlongs at Chelmsford. She is out of the Listed Finale Stakes winner Jane Austen, a Galileo sister to the Listed-placed Acapulco.

Liberisque has produced two winners from her first two foals; Dreaming Spires who won over a mile at three last season for Harry Eustace and Sailthisshipalone, a son of Havana Gold. Trained by Richard Fahey for Ontoawinner, he won a juvenile novice at Thirsk in August and was second in the British EBF £100,000 Final at York in October.

Arizona Blaze was sold by Fittocks Stud for 36,000gns to Amanda Skiffington at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, while last August in Doncaster, Flash Conroy's Glenvale Stud sold him for £82,000 at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale to Rodrigo Goncalves and Aguiar Bloodstock.

Murray and Amo also unveil Charanda, an Ardad half-sister to Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy winner and Middle Park Stakes third Summer Sands, by Coach House. The €90,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 purchase by Goncalves from Kilpatrick Farm is a half-sister to Elegant Madame, from the first crop of Inns Of Court. She made a winning debut last June at Lingfield for Amo and Dominic Ffrench Davis.

They are out of Koharu, an Ishiguru mare out of a half-sister to Coventry Stakes winner, Phoenix Stakes second and sire Hellvelyn who was sold, in foal to Blue Point, by Baroda Stud to Glen Devlin at Goffs in November for €110,000.

Soldier's Call: first foal of his half-sister makes her debut at the CurraghCredit: Dullingham Park

Murray also saddles Linesky from the second crop of Tally-Ho Stud's Inns Of Court. Ridden by Silvestre de Sousa and running in the colours of the LNA Racing Syndicate, she is the first foal out of Fast Dandy, an unraced Dandy Man sister to multiple winner Elegant Erin from the Aga Khan's brilliant family of Enzeli, Estimate and Ebadiyla.

Josh Halley's Besiege will be the first runner for Coolmore's Coventry Stakes winner Arizona, the son of No Nay Never who stands at Castlehyde Stud. Bred by Moanduff Farm, he is the first foal out of Dianthus, a winning daughter of Epaulette. From the Moyglare family of Lisieux Rose, he was sold by Churchland Stud to Leon Carrick Bloodstock for €8,500 at the Goffs November Foal Sale and bought from Carrick by Stone Farm for £21,000 at Doncaster last August.

Jim Bolger and Rory Cleary produced the 2021 winner, Missing Matron by Vocalised and this year are represented by Monotone. A half-brother to Listed Celebration Stakes winner and Irish 2,000 Guineas fourth Wexford Native, he is from the first crop of Bolger's homebred National Stakes winner Verbal Dexterity, a son of Vocalised.

Starfield Stud's Far Above is another sire to be represented by his first runner at the Curragh on Monday when Far At Sea makes her debut for Barry Fitzgerald. Bred by Rathbarry Stud, she is out of Musicora who is an Acclamation sister to Listed Marygate Stakes third Little Scotland. Musicora is also a half-sister to the Listed-placed Sgiaff by Spinning World and is the dam of Ingleby Archie, who has been placed in five of his six starts for Adrian Nicholls.

The stallion masters behind each of the new boys will be hoping they can emulate the early career of Havana Grey. Whitsbury Manor's sire of Group 1 winner Vandeek is represented by the Andy Slattery-trained Bobbi Rosa. Bred by Llety Farms, she was a €35,000 purchase by Damien Moore from Grangemore Farm at the Goffs Orby Book 2 Sale last September.

She is the first foal out of Fan Dance, an unraced Canford Cliffs half-sister to Soldier's Call who made such a promising start with his own first runners last year and stands at Dullingham Park alongside Shaquille for the 2024 season.

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