Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway did really well to win the Curragh Cup on Sunday given how the race panned out. Passed over by Joseph O’Brien in favour of his stable companion El Salvador, the son of Galileo travelled well for Seamie Heffernan through the early stages of the race, he was always going nicely up the inside and was cruising around the home turn. He got stuck in a pocket as they straightened for home, however, as the early leader Mijhaar fell back into his lap along the inside rail. Royal Diamond kicked off the front as Heffernan endeavoured to extricate his horse from the pocket, at which point Ernest Hemingway traded at 90 in-running. Pulled to the outside, however, and given a few strides to recover his equilibrium and his momentum, he powered down the centre of the track, swooping past Voleuse De Coeurs and Royal Diamond to win by five lengths, going away, in a good time.

Ernest Hemingway is a big galloping horse, and the fact that he saw out this mile and three quarters – and he had to see it out because Mijhaar set a fair pace – opens up options. He is classy, he switched off well here on this step up in trip and, by Galileo out of a Darshaan mare, he could go on now to be a top-class stayer. He was a shortish price for the Derby last year after he had won his maiden at Dundalk on his racecourse debut, he was really highly-regarded, and he could easily fulfill that potential now over longer trips. It would be no surprise to see him win the Irish St Leger – he beat last year’s winner here fairly comprehensively – and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that he could even develop into an Ascot Gold Cup horse for next season.

30th June 2013