Dark Side

Dark Side put up a really encouraging performance on his racecourse debut to finish second to Imadpour in the seven-furlong maiden at Cork last Wednesday.  Slowly away and last of the 11 runners early on, he was still second last when he came under a ride at the three-furlong marker.  Switched towards the far side by Shane Crosse, he travelled better on the run to the two-furlong marker, and he stayed on well on the far side to take second place in front of Long Count and Pigeon House and Desert Haven.

The winner Imadpour had run well in defeat in both his previous races, most recently in finishing fourth behind Hans Andersen and Sunday’s National Stakes winner Al Riffa in what is traditionally a very good maiden at The Curragh on Irish Oaks day, and Dark Side did well to get as close to him as he did.  He probably wasn’t advantaged by racing towards the far side, as the race developed towards the near side, and he showed signs of inexperience.  He could come on appreciably for this.  He handled the soft ground well, so he will be of interest as we move into the autumn, but, out of a half-sister to Youmzain and Creachadoir, he should handle faster conditions too.
Cork, 7th September 2022