Coeur D’Or

Coeur D’Or did well to finish third in the nine-furlong premier handicap at Leopardstown last Thursday. Allowed drift back in the field early on from his outside draw, he was only 12th of the 14 runners as they left the back straight. He travelled nicely around the home turn and he picked up well at the top of the home straight when Chris Hayes asked him to. He didn’t have a whole lot of room on the run to the furlong marker, but he continued his forward momentum, getting up for third place in the end behind Redstone Well and Carracci.

This was a race in which it was difficult to make ground from the rear. The winner and the runner-up raced in first and second places respectively from early, while the fifth Lan Cinnte was third into the home straight. Coeur D’Or was the only one who was able to get close from the rear.
Winner of a handicap over this course and distance last month off a 10lb lower mark when he made most of the running, Dermot Weld’s horse proved here that he was well able for this mark of 92. He is versatile though in terms of race tactics, he can be ridden from the front or from the rear. He is seven now, but he is a relatively lightly-raced seven-year-old, and he is in the form of his life. He will be of interest wherever he goes next. He goes well at Leopardstown, but he has run well too at The Curragh, and he goes well on good or easy ground.
Leopardstown, 13^th July 2023