Jim Bolger solves the mystery of Tipperary hero Jack Duggan

Tongues were wagging for a few reasons when Jack Duggan made a winning debut at Tipperary this month.

Not only had Jim Bolger’s juvenile suggested he was one to follow in seeing off a couple of rivals with prior experience at 20-1 but he was sired by a stallion who is a complete unknown in Europe.

First, Bolger had an even more obvious question to answer.

"What I was most asked when the horse won was, 'Who’s Jack Duggan?'" said the trainer, who explained that it was drawn from the subject in Wild Colonial Boy, a miscellaneous folk song covered many times about an Irish outlaw who causes havoc in Australia and is eventually shot.

The equine Jack Duggan has had a journey of his own, although his trainer has quickly managed to tame him. His sire is Jack Milton, a son of War Front who won the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile on turf at Keeneland in 2015. Standing for $6,500 at Crestwood Farm, his first two crops have received little acclaim even in his homeland, and, of 52 runners, Jack Duggan was his first in Europe.

Jim Bolger could aim his youngster for a Group race nextCredit: Patrick McCann

The dam, Unbridled Treasure, is a half-sister to Saiorse Abu, who won the Moyglare and finished third in the Guineas for Bolger before being sold as a broodmare to Godolphin for 1,950,000gns.

"He’s the result of exasperation," Bolger explained. "I bought the mare in America many moons ago and we didn’t have much luck; I think only one or two of them had any ability, or things subsequently went wrong so they didn’t get to show their ability.

"The mare was boarding with Adrian Regan [of Hunter Valley Farm] in Kentucky and when it came to covering the last time I must have been busy when he phoned me. He’d said the mare would take a cover the next week and where did I want her to go. I’d said, 'Oh I don’t know, where do you think?' So he decided.

"I wouldn’t have been jumping up and down about a son of War Front, but anyway, I went along with it and we’re very happy with the result."

So what did Bolger think when he first set eyes on his mystery package?

"Not a lot," he replied. "He was a little on the small side but he has done well since. We started training him only a few weeks ago and he came to hand fairly quickly.

"I thought he might take a run but he was probably a bit fitter than I thought he was - I thought he might run greener than he did so there could be a nice bit of improvement in him."

With a win over an extended seven furlongs in the bank, connections can now get a bit bolder.

"His jockey [Rory Cleary] says he’s definitely a stakes horse," reports the trainer.

"I haven’t really thought of a target, it was only a few days ago, but there are very few opportunities here in 'winners of one' down the line so he’ll probably have to go for a Group race. He will stay fairly well, he’ll have no problem getting a mile in a few weeks’ time."

Bolger is a unique figure in racing as a major trainer who breeds most of his own horses, so it seems natural that he should freshen up his gene pool by boarding mares in America. However, he says it is an experiment that has largely concluded.

"Unbridled Treasure is by Unbridled’s Song, the pedigree was all-American and I decided to leave her there," he said.

"I’ve nothing at the moment, I used to have two or three but we’ve had more luck in bringing them home. I’m told that the last foal she had was by Perfect Soul, but anyway, when I went inquiring where it was I was told that I gave it away…But at least I’ve had a bit of luck with her."

We should know by now of Bolger’s foresight in the bloodstock world, given his support of Galileo through the likes of Teofilo and New Approach played a pivotal role in the stallion’s rise.

But when asked if a few more of Jack Milton’s sons might be making their way to Coolcullen, he replied: "Not for the moment."

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