Catena Zapata

Catena Zapata finished off his race well to take fifth place in the 10-furlong handicap at The Curragh on Saturday. Settled back in the field by Wayne Lordan, Catena Zapata travelled easily through his race early on. Last of the 11 runners as they rounded the home turn, Henry de Bromhead’s horse had to come widest of all in order to deliver his challenge. Still last as they raced inside the two-furlong marker, he stayed on well down the outside to get involved in a bunched finish. He only finished fifth, but he finished best of all, and he was only just over a length behind the winner, the progressive Bay Of Bengal. Three strides past the line and he was third.

It wasn’t easy to make ground from the rear on the round course at The Curragh all weekend, as is often the case, and Catena Zapata did well to get as close as he got. A game winner of a one-mile handicap at Dundalk in February, he was disappointing in a hugely competitive handicap on his previous run at The Curragh, but that was after a break of almost 100 days since his Dundalk run, and this was much more like it. His two wins have both been at Dundalk, but he proved here that he could be good on turf as well, and that obviously augurs well for the future. He obviously stays this 10-furlong trip, and he should do better off a faster pace. He holds an entry in a 10-furlong premier handicap at Leopardstown next Thursday, and he will be of interest if he lines up in that.
The Curragh, 25^th June 2022