Racing Curragh report: The weather might have felt more Cartmel than Curragh but the upcoming classics were also in the air as Aidan O'Brien gave his 2,000 Guineas and Derby favourites, One Cool Cat and Yeats, a work-out after racing.The two colts were part of a 19-strong team sent from Ballydoyle that looked to include most of O'Brien's classic A-Team for 2004.
In addition to One Cool Cat and Yeats, both of whom cantered over a mile with different galloping companions, O'Brien also worked the possible 2,000 Guineas candidates Antonius Pius and Grand Reward, as well as the Moyglare-winning filly Necklace.
Jamie Spencer, who had earlier won the opening race of the season on O'Brien's two-year-old Russian Blue, rode both One Cool Cat and Yeats for the first time in public.
O'Brien confirmed that One Cool Cat, a 9 to 4 favourite for Newmarket with Ladbrokes, will probably go straight for the first classic of the season.
"It was only a mile canter for him there but it was a day out and ideally I'd love to get another one into him. I'm happy with his fitness and we're trying to keep them relaxed now," said the trainer who also nominated Newmarket's 1,000 Guineas as a likely start-off point for Necklace.
Yeats finished ahead of his work companion Meath, and O'Brien said: "He is a fine big horse and we would hope to start him off in the Ballysax. But we're not going to ask them much today on that heavy ground."
One horse that had earlier thrived in the going was Tolpuddle who ground his way to victory in the €85,000 Lincolnshire under Wayne Lordan.
The Tommy Stack-trained winner won his only other previous career start at Tipperary last July and the recent poor weather was just what his connections wanted. "It can't be soft enough for him," announced Stack's son James, better known as "Fozzy," after Tolpuddle beat off Eurolink Rooster by two lengths.
"We couldn't run him again last year because it was never soft enough. He was even entered on the last day of the season at Leopardstown and the ground turned up good!" he added. "There's a Listed race back here next month he could go for - if conditions are right."
Alexander Goldrun is already well established at Listed level and was a comprehensive winner of the Park Express Stakes, the first black type race of the new season.
Kevin Manning's mount took over from Royal Tigress inside the final couple of furlongs and was always holding the late thrust of the 20 to 1 outsider Blue Reema.
"We will keep aiming upwards until we're stopped," said Alexander Goldrun's trainer Jim Bolger. "She likes that ground and the Guineas Trial at Leopardstown is an option." Takrice, who showed up as a likely danger after halfway in this race, was afterwards found to be lame.
Catherine Gannon, narrowly beaten in the race for the 2003 apprentice title, wasted no time getting off the mark for 2004 when Assigh Lady landed the sprint handicap, the second race of the season.
"I'm leading the flat trainer's championship!" grinned trainer Dessie McDonogh. "We got a break today, she jumped well and Cathy gave her a lovely ride. There's a race for her over six here at the next meeting (April 4th.)"
Barry Geraghty and Ruby Walsh had the finish of the Jumps versus Flat jockeys' challenge to themselves and it was Geraghty's mount, the warm favourite Native Scout, who emerged best.
John Oxx got off the mark for the season with the newcomer Dabiroun in the last.
