Horses To Follow » Dark Pulse

Dark Pulse

Dark Pulse stepped up on his debut run at Leopardstown when going close in a two-year-old median auction maiden at Dundalk last Friday despite being very weak in the market – drifting from 8/1 out to 12/1 on course.

He broke well, but that meant that he didn’t get any cover early on, and he started to take a really strong pull on the outside of Polished Rock after a furlong, a factor which was exacerbated by a slight coming together with Whip Storm. He was allowed to nose into the lead by Fergal Lynch as they turned out of the back straight, he moved on from the well-backed Polished Rock early in the home straight and he picked up well for pressure from just over a furlong out. He kept on really well all the way to the line and only just gave best to the favourite and much more experienced Abbey Vale right on the line, his early exertions obviously catching up with him. The first two were chased home by a well-bred Aidan O’Brien-trained filly in One True Love, with a break back to the rest.

Michael O’Callaghan’s colt had shaped as if he had ability on his debut, travelling better than most to the home turn in a decent Leopardstown maiden before getting tired on the soft ground, and he had obviously come on for that experience. He should come on again for this run, he shouldn’t be as free next time, and he may just be quite a good colt. The fact that he hails from a small yard means that he may be under-rated for the time being. He should be well up to winning his maiden now and he could be significantly under-rated when he steps up in class.

5th October 2012