Ado McGuinness does not expect the lack of a recent run to count against A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) when the trainer's stable star tackles the G1 Flying Five S. at the Curragh on Sunday.
A Case Of You has recorded two wins at the highest level since joining McGuinness's stable but hasn't been seen since posting a poor run in the Platinum Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot.
That effort can be put down to the fact that A Case Of You returned from the royal meeting with a virus, according to McGuinness, who is predicting a much better performance on Irish Champions Weekend.
McGuinness said, “The horse wasn't right [after Ascot]. We did a few tests on him and he was recovering from a virus after it.
“He must have picked up something. Where, I don't know, but we gave him a good break.”
The trainer added, “He's fine now, he's in great form and looks a million dollars. The fact he hasn't run since Ascot doesn't concern me. If he was a three-mile chaser it might do but he's a five-furlong sprinter, he's got to run for 57 or 58 seconds, so it's not too bad.”
Godolphin's Classic runner-up Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the G3 Earl Of Sefton S. at Newmarket in April, will miss an intended start in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S., trainer Charlie Appleby revealed. A winner of the G2 Superlative S. at two, the gelding added the G3 Craven S. last term prior to running a narrow second in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas last May. He was third in September's G2 Joel S. and was gelded after finishing unplaced in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot on Oct. 16. The Earl Of Sefton was his first start since.
“Master Of The Seas will now bypass the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot after disappointing in his last piece of work,” Appleby tweeted.
The royal blue colourbearer had been set to face the undefeated Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) among other rivals in that test on June 14.
Also missing a Royal Ascot Tuesday engagement is Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}). Originally set for the G1 King's Stand S. over five furlongs, the Gary Devlin-owned 4-year-old colt will instead resurface in the 1200-metre G1 Platinum Jubilee on June 18, the final day of Royal Ascot. At his best to land the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye in the autumn, the Ado McGuinness trainee bolted up to win the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on Mar. 26. He most recently reported home third in the G2 Greenlands S. at the Curragh on May 21.
McGuinness said, “With the ground looking decent and the way they'll come back to him over six I just think that race will suit him more. The weather doesn't look as if it is going to turn the ground soft so the five-furlong race will be very quick.
“I just feel the six will be a better race for him, he's a horse that likes to warm into a race and it will be a nicer race for him, I hope.”
Drawn widest of all in the 16-strong G1 Al Quoz field, Gary Devlin's A Case of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) gave Ireland a reason to celebrate with an emphatic victory in Meydan's 1200-metre marquee race for turf sprinters. Pinned to the outside rail but in close contention under regular pilot Ronan Whelan in the early going, the 4-year-old forged to the front in the final two furlongs, and found Man of Promise (Into Mischief), who ran on determinedly to his outside, difficult to shake. Undeterred, the entire inched clear of that rival late and was not for catching as British raider Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) gave her best effort, but having to settle for second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. Favoured Man of Promise finished a neck back in third.
“I was worried I might be getting there a bit early but he was going so well,” said Whelan. “His last furlong is always his strongest and he's such a tough and genuine horse. Five furlongs, six furlongs, soft ground, fast ground, it doesn't matter to him. I love him. He came on so much from the prep run on Super Saturday. Having that experience stood to him and he improved so much from it. It means the world to all the team. To win such a big race at Meydan, it's the stuff you dream of but don't think will happen.”
Happy Romance's jockey Sean Levey added, “She ran a blinder. I thought the draw [post 6] maybe cost me a length and I think she would have been bang there with a better draw. She's run a blinder and the year is young.”
Bred by Derek Iceton at Tara Stud, A Case Of You failed to attract the reserve price of €3,000 at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale as a yearling, and began his career with trainer John McConnell before selling privately to the McGuiness stable after winning the G3 Anglesey S. as a juvenile. In 2021, he won at Dundalk in the spring and later added a score in the G3 Goffs Lacken S. at Naas. Given some time off following a lackluster finish in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, he returned to finish third in the G3 Phoenix Sprint S. followed by a runner-up finish in the G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. in September. Registering a career high win in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye at ParisLongchamp in October, he was given a crack at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar the following month, finishing an even fifth. Coming into the Al Quoz, he had to play the bridesmaid to Man of Promise, beaten 4 3/4 lengths in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Sprint Mar. 5.
“I knew he had improved plenty from the [Nad Al Sheba Sprint],” said winning trainer Ado McGuinness. “Ronan Whelan gave him a great ride, he was super cool.”
He added, “Ian Brennan has looked after him [at Meydan] and has done a great job with him. He's a very, very good horse. We might get some credit now! People said it was a weak Abbaye he won, but one thing is for sure, it wasn't a weak race today. He's only four and he'll only get better. I think he'll win another Group 1 this year and the long-term target at the end of the year will be back at the Breeders' Cup.”
Pedigree Notes:
A Case of You is the fifth foal out of Karjera (Ire), a full-sister to MSW Akanti (Ire) and Lock And Key (Ire), Grade III/Group 3-placed in both Ireland and America. The dam of six foals, the 14-year-old Karjera also is responsible for a pair of winners, Loose Chippings (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Knight of Luck (Ire) (Mukhadram {GB}). Her latest produce is Ali Babes (Ire), a 3-year-old filly by Alhebayeb (Ire).
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai AL QUOZ SPRINT SPONSORED BY AZIZI DEVELOPMENTS-G1, $1,500,000, Meydan, 3-26, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:08.81, gd.
1–A CASE OF YOU (IRE), 126, c, 4, by Hot Streak (Ire) 1st Dam: Karjera (Ire), by Key of Luck 2nd Dam: Lock's Heath, by Topsider 3rd Dam: Lock's Dream, by Youth
(€3,000 RNA Ylg '19 GOFSPT). O-Gary Devlin; B-Limestone and
Tara Studs (IRE); T-Adrian McGuinness; J-Ronan Whelan.
€870,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Ire, G1SW-Fr,
14-7-2-2, $1,364,424. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Happy Romance (Ire), 121, f, 4, Dandy Man (Ire)–Rugged Up
(Ire), by Marju (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (£25,000 Ylg
'19 GOFFPR). O-The McMurray Family; B-Redpender Stud Ltd
(IRE); T-Richard Hannon. $300,000.
3–Man of Promise, 126, g, 5, Into Mischief–Involved, by Speightstown. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. ($170,000 Ylg '18
KEESEP). O-Godolphin; B-Betz/Magers/Coco
Equine/Kidder/Lamantial/Davidson (KY); T-Charlie Appleby.
$150,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, HF.
Also Ran: Naval Crown (GB), Casa Creed, Taxiwala (Ire), Khuzaam, Mutafawwig (GB), Lauda Sion (Jpn), Berneuil (Ire), Air De Valse (Fr), Entscheiden (Jpn), Suesa (Ire), Creative Force (Ire), Emaraaty Ana (GB), Get Smokin. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) will remain in Dubai and target the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 26. He was a distant second to Godolphin's Man Of Promise (Into Mischief) in the six-furlong G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint at Meydan on Mar. 5. Gary Devlin's 4-year-old colt captured the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp on Oct. 3 and was a good fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6. He made his 4-year-old bow a winning one, with an easy 3 1/2-length win in a Dundalk all-weather affair on Feb. 11 prior to his Meydan second.
“He's good and we're very happy with him,” said trainer Ado McGuinness. “He grubbed up well after the race, he had a nice roll on Sunday morning. I don't know how we are going to beat the winner but we're going to try again.
“I suppose if the winner wasn't in it, we'd be hot favourite for the Sprint on World Cup night because we beat the third easy enough.
“It's definitely the Al Quoz next barring any mishaps. We'll see what we do then. We'll sit down and maybe make a plan for Ascot after that. The Al Quoz will be his first port of call.
“He's staying over there. I was out with him before I came home. He looks great and there's not a bother on him. He looks a million dollars in the sun.”
