Despite the retirements of recent stable stalwarts like Group 1-winning juvenile and new Irish National Stud stallion Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), top-level performer and 2,000,000gns broodmare prospect Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}), and last September's G1 Matron S. victrix No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}), Jessica Harrington is still loaded for bear at the start of this Flat season.
Speaking confidently from her scenic base in Moone, she went through a list to savour with the regally-bred 3-year-old Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), a full-sister to the marvellous Alpha Centauri (Ire) who was triumphant in last September's G1 Moyglare Stud S., heading the list.
“All being well Discoveries will head to the English Guineas. I won't run her unless the ground is fast. Like her sister, she wants fast ground,” said the trainer.
Harrington outlined a series of promising prospects from her stable where quality fillies and mares outnumber their male counterparts two-to-one. Magical Lagoon (Galileo {Ire}), a thrice-raced juvenile who landed a Curragh Group 3 last August, is a half-sister to Novellist (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}, the Japan-based stallion who won Group 1 races in four different European countries.
She said, “Magical Lagoon will go for the Salsabil and has an entry in the English Oaks [as well as the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Irish Oaks]. She did a racecourse gallop the other day and we're very happy with her. She has done well and got very strong over the winter.”
In addition, Harrington spoke highly of Group 3-winning 4-year-old Forbearance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who “will go in fillies' races from a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half”.
She added, “Forbearance needs the ground quick, quick, quick so she'll likely be making a few journeys to England again.”
The twice-raced Killarney maiden-winning 3-year-old Caroline Herschel (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), named after the famed 18th century German astronomer who discovered several comets, was described as “a stakes filly on soft ground”, while Harrington declared herself “delighted” with the talented 3-year old Villanova Queen (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who rallied strongly when third in Leopardstown's G3 1,000 Guineas trial last Saturday.
“She's very relaxed,” said the trainer.
The stable's grand servant Barrington Court (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), a tough and effective dual-purpose mare, returns for her 8-year-old campaign and “will run if ever, ever we get soft ground for her. She's in great order this year and I'm delighted with her also.”
Meanwhile, 4-year-old filly The Blue Brilliant (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) who “ran a blinder” in France last year when beaten by a narrow margin in a Deauville Group 3 is considered an “eight- to 10-furlong type, one mile if the ground is real soft.”
Real Appeal (Ger) (Sidestep {Aus}), a 5-year-old gelding who won the G2 Boomerang Mile last September before taking an unsuccessful crack at the Breeders' Cup Mile, returns for Harrington's longstanding and supportive owner Zhang Yuesheng.
She said, “Real Appeal heads for the Amethyst and hopefully returns to Group 1 races after that.”
Harrington retains excitement for the 6-year-gelding Leo De Fury (Ire) (Australia {GB}). She said of the Group 2 winner, “He is in a good place this year and will go for the Mooresbridge and then the Vintage Crop to see if he stays. I see no reason why he won't.”
The stable's 3-year-old colts and geldings are headed by Confident Star (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Cowboy Justice (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), with Harrington saying of the former, the winner of a seven-furlong Cork maiden last September, “I think he's a miler and I think he's a stronger horse this year so he'll go to the (Irish 2,000) Guineas Trial.”
Cowboy Justice was gelded after an attack of colic last year and is being aimed at six- and seven-furlong contests.
Harrington is off to a flying start with her 2-year-olds and wins by both the colt Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation {Ire}), a first winner for his freshman stallion, and Dundalk winning debutante It's Showtime Baby (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) prove that she has plenty of forward types.
“Training 2-year-olds is tremendously exciting because you just don't know what they are going to turn out like,” she said. “The ones that promise everything could end up doing nothing. You get surprises and you get disappointments and they can't all be good.
“We have a few here by first-season sires and I have to say I love the Saxon Warriors. I think they are very nice. I have four Saxon Warriors and we have two Sioux Nations. Ocean Quest won her maiden and we have a very smart colt by him as well. He's big and square and they all seem to have good temperaments. The Saxon Warriors are really laidback as well. I have a couple of Zoustars as well, and I like them. They look nice and they are sharp.”
In the coming months, Harrington's supporters can look forward to the debut of the colt Saturn (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}, the first foal of Alpha Centauri.
“We are getting a better class of 2-year-old every year,” Harrington said. “We have 75 this year. It's lovely to have some of the pedigrees that we have. You look down through the list and some of them really could be anything. They're not just early pedigrees, and the ones that we have run just came to hand, but they should continue progressing. We have a Kuroshio colt, called Panic Alarm (Ire), Keepingupwithmyempire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Slick Chick (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), and they will be the next three to run for us.”
She added, “Alpha Centauri's first foal is called Saturn and he's pretty forward. Alpha Centauri made her debut in May and I don't think this fellow will take very long. It will depend on how he goes in the next couple of weeks. He's very mature in his mind and does everything very easily.”
Stable jockey Shane Foley also spoke of a particular affinity for the Yulong-owned unnamed Dubawi colt out of the Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Spectre (Fr), a 410,000gns purchase at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
He said, “I love the Dubawi colt out of Spectre. He could be out in a seven-furlong maiden on Irish Derby weekend and should make up into a lovely middle-distance colt.”
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