Coulthard

Coulthard did well to finish as close as he did in the Group 2 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes at The Curragh on Friday evening. He went sharply to his right out of the gate, rider Leigh Roche did well to straighten him up as quickly as he did, but it meant that he had to settle in last of the eight runners, five or six lengths behind the early leader Giorgio Vasari. He was a little keen too after that, and he got squeezed out a bit at the three-furlong marker. Still last at the twoo-furlong pole, he picked up nicely as they raced to the furlong marker. Switched towards the far side, he mounted a challenge, he moved up on the far side of New Treasure and Teresa Mendoza to deliver a challenge. He just appeared to tire close home, dropping to third, but that was understandable. In the end, he was beaten less than two lengths by the winner, and the first three were four lengths clear of the fourth horse.

Michael O’Callaghan’s colt shaped promisingly on his racecourse debut, just six days earlier, in finishing fifth behind Magna Grecia’s half-brother St Mark’s Basilica in a six-furlong maiden at The Curragh, and it is significant that his trainer thought enough of him to allow him take his chance in a Group 3 race on his second run, and still a maiden. He was a big price on Friday, but he proved that he was well up to this level, and he will be of interest wherever he goes next.

The Curragh, 28^th August 2020

© Sportinglife.com, 31st August 2020