Auburn Avenue
Auburn Avenue did well to keep on as well as she did to take fifth place in the apprentices' handicap at The Curragh on Monday. Weak in the market, she was slowly away and she was well back in the field early on, no better than 20th or 21st of the 25 runners after they had gone two furlongs. Moved towards the far side by Robert Whearty three furlongs out, she was checked in is run on the run to the two-furlong marker when he wanted to go forward. Checked back and switched all the way across to the inside rail, and still only 11th or 12th as they raced inside the final furlong, she finished off her race well to get involved in the photo finish for third place. The winner Free Solo won well, it is stretching it to say that Auburn Avenue was an unlucky loser, but she started her run at around about the same time as the time at which the winner started his run, on the approach to the two-furlong marker - the runner-up Finsceal Annie was just in front of them too, and she enjoyed a dream run up the inside rail - but they were on different parts of the track, Free Solo in clear sailing towards the stands side, Auburn Avenue in traffic towards the far side. Chris Timmons' filly would almost certainly have finished a fair bit closer to the winner had she enjoyed a clearer passage.
Auburn Avenue hasn't managed to win yet, but she ran some good races in defeat last season, including in a seven-furlong handicap at The Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend last year, and she didn't get home over 10 and a half furlongs on soft ground at Cork on her debut this season. She appeared to be happier here, back down over seven furlongs and back on better ground and back at The Curragh. She obviously improved for her seasonal return, and she probably improved for the fitting of cheekpieces too. This was her ninth run, she is looking exposed on the face of it, but there could be more to come from her off this mark in a similar type of contest on this evidence.
The Curragh, 5th May 2025
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