HTF - Ireland

Le Jardin Secret

Le Jardin Secret put up a really encouraging performance on her racecourse debut to finish fourth in the seven-furlong fillies' maiden at Fairyhouse on Monday. A little slowly into her stride from her inside draw, she was towards the rear of the field early on. She had just four of her 14 rivals behind her as they raced to the home turn, and she came under a ride as they straightened up but, switched towards the outside by Oisin Orr inside the two-furlong marker, she stayed on really nicely down the near side to get up for fourth place close home.

This was a most encouraging racecourse debut by the Dermot Weld-trained filly. By No Nay Never, she is out of the Monsun mare Eva's Time, a half-sister to Forgotten Rules, who won the Group 2 Long Distance Cup over two miles and the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes over a mile and six furlongs, and to Vintage Nouveau, who won a listed race over a mile and a half, and she raced here as if she would appreciate a step up from this seven-furlong trip. She is a strapping Moyglare Stud filly who should improve for this experience and progress with time.

Fairyhouse, 21st September 2020

Romantic Proposal

Romantic Proposal put up a really good performance in the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday. Quickly into her stride, she travelled well through the early stages of the race, in third place behind Forever In Dreams and Lil Grey. She was left on her own a little though on the run to the two-furlong marker, as Lil Grey weakened and Forever In Dreams moved to her left, which wasn’t ideal. She still travelled well in front, she travelled best of all inside the two-furlong marker, and rider Shane Crosse didn't have to go for her until they reached the furlong marker, but she was just overhauled by the closers late on.

It was still a big run by Eddie Lynam's filly, on her first foray into Group race company. She was unlucky in the manner in which the race panned out, that circumstances conspired against her to leave her seeing daylight earlier than ideal. Winner of the Scurry Handicap at The Curragh in July, her rating of 91 left her with lots to find with the top-rated horses in Saturday's race – the other five horses who, with her, filled the first six places were all rated in the 100s – but she proved that she can more than hold her own in this grade. She will be interesting again in a Listed race or a Group 3 race.

The Curragh, 26th September 2020

Dance Jupiter

Dance Jupiter didn't have a lot of luck in-running in the one-mile handicap at The Curragh on Saturday. Slowly away and dropped in early from stall one, they didn't go a great pace and he was keen enough early on. As well as that, the field didn't get stretched out too much early on, with the result that racing room was at a premium in the closing stages. No better than 10th as they passed the three-furlong marker, and trapped along the inside with lots of horses in front of him, he navigated his way through traffic a little but it was all very tight. By the time he got into the clear, Carrytheone was finishing off his race strongly, momentum up, down the outside. Dance Jupiter kept on well to take third place, but he could have been closer with a clearer run.

It was a good performance by the winner, who won well on this, his first run back after he was hampered and crashed through the rail in a handicap at The Curragh in early August. He should progress from this, but so should Dance Jupiter. The Kingsbarns gelding beat Patrick Sarsfield in a maiden at Cork last October when he was with John Kiely, and he was subsequently acquired by Patrick Sarsfield's owner Mrs Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez, before Patrick Sarsfield went on his winning run, rising from a mark of 86 to a mark of 114, and finishing third in a Group 1 race in Germany.

Dance Jupiter raced once before Saturday for his new owner and new trainer Joseph O’Brien, he ran a most encouraging race in finishing second to the progressive Teed Up on heavy ground at Galway earlier this month. This was another encouraging performance, and it shouldn't be long before he is winning again. He has raced just four times, he has plenty of scope to progress, and his mark of 92 looks well within range.

The Curragh, 26th September 2020

Chicago Black Hawk

Chicago Black Hawk ran a nice race to finish third behind Van Gogh and Colour Sergeant in the seven-furlong maiden at The Curragh on Sunday. Smartly away from his outside draw, Johnny Murtagh's colt was a little keen through the very early stages of the race as he raced up on the outside of the field. He settled better though after they had gone two furlongs in about seventh place in a stretched out field behind a good pace that the duelling market leaders Van Gogh and Colour Sergeant set. Still travelling well as they passed the three-furlong marker, he made good progress for Shane Kelly from that point, keeping on well down the outside. It never looked like he was going to get to the two leaders, but he ran all the way to the line to take third place, just over three lengths behind the winner Van Gogh.

This was just Chicago Black Hawk's second run. He had shaped nicely on his racecourse debut in finishing seventh behind Saturday's Beresford Stakes winner High Definition, and this was a nice step forward from that. His dam won over a mile and five furlongs, and she is from the family of Arc de Triomphe winner Solemia so, while he weakened late on over a mile on his racecourse debut, he should get further than this seven-furlong trip in time.

The Curragh, 27th September 2020

Secret Pulse

Secret Pulse put up a nice performance to win the one-mile fillies' maiden at The Curragh on Sunday. Sharply away, she settled nicely through the early stages of the race for Colin Keane in the slipstream of early leader Salsa. She travelled well to the three-furlong marker and she moved up easily on the outside of the leader to dispute the lead on the run to the two-furlong pole, before picking up well when her rider asked her to. She stretched out all the way to the line to come away from Salsa, who in turn had a break of a couple of lengths on the rest of the field.

This was a nice step forward by Gerry Keane's filly on just her fourth run. Unraced as a juvenile, she ran well in a good fillies' maiden at The Curragh in July won by Etneya, and she was only just beaten at Cork on her last run before Sunday. She was impressive in winning on Sunday, she could have been called as the most likely winner from a fair way out, and she showed a really nice attitude in coming clear. There is plenty of speed in her pedigree, but she stays a mile well, and it appears that she is at home on easy ground. She is lightly raced and she has the potential to progress again.

The Curragh, 27th September 2020