Curragh Report:Aidan O'Brien and Kieren Fallon got the perfect boost at the start of Budweiser Irish Derby weekend when the well-bred newcomer Listen made a winning debut in the Listed Saoire Stakes at the Curragh last night.
This full-sister to the Moylgare winner Sequoyah, herself the dam of the 2,000 Guineas favourite Henrythenavigator, earned her own classic quotes with a length-and-a-quarter defeat of Tuscan Evening with the odds-on favourite Saoirse Abu only fifth.
"We thought she was nice but to win a Listed first time out means she's obviously very nice. She looks a real Moyglare filly and she will probably run in that trial, the Debutante Stakes, before it," said O'Brien.
The debut performance last night was enough for Listen to earn a 16 to 1 favourite quote from Cashmans. It was an ideal Curragh festival opener for Fallon who will be on board the favourite Eagle Mountain tomorrow. "The last three weeks has gone well for all of them so we're happy about that. We've been happy with Eagle Mountain so hopefully it will go well," the champion trainer said.
The Ballydoyle team were doubly represented in the opening juvenile maiden but both newcomers were well behind Lisvale who just short-headed the favourite Pittori in a desperate finish. The winner had been fourth on his Leopardstown debut and trainer David Wachman has the Parknasilla Hotel Goffs Million in mind for the colt.
"He is the first horse owned by the sponsors of the Goffs race (Moira McNamara) and I think he is very nice," Wachman said.
"This is usually a very good race. Some top horses have won it over the last five years. We won it ourselves with Indestachel a few years ago. I think it could be the same again," he added.
That ground conditions are soft at the Curragh was proved when Caheerloch surprisingly provided Dermot Weld with a first winner of the season at his local track in the 10-furlong handicap. "He has to have dig in the ground," Weld explained. "It will be more of the same for him - if the rain keeps falling."
In contrast Imperial Rose will be mixing flat and the jumps after providing Tony Martin with another successful raid on headquarters in the apprentice Derby.
"If they're good enough, I'll go anywhere!" grinned Martin after Christy Geoghegan got the favourite home by three-parts of a length. "If she ran up to her mark she was always going to win. She was fit and well and it worked out."
Dane Blue, the first reserve for the mile handicap, took advantage of a non-runner to get into the race and won by a head under Séamus Heffernan.
