Victory for Zand in tomorrow's Curragh feature could hold much more significance for John Oxx than its black-type Listed status as the world famous trainer attempts to recover from his slowest ever start to a season. It has been a notably quiet campaign so far in 2013 for a yard that for decades has featured among the top handful of operations in the country and which has had a stream of champions through it, most notably the peerless Sea The Stars in 2009.
“It’s been our slowest ever start. Normally we would be into the mid-teens in terms of winners by now, but we’ve only had a few,” Oxx said yesterday.
“We had a nasty bug at the start of the season, lots of dirty noses, which disrupted April, and most of May too. But the few we’ve run recently have run well and hopefully we can come back to form now.”
Up to last night’s action, Oxx has had just three winners from only 26 runners. However, there are seven inmates from the much-admired Currabeg stables set to appear this weekend, the biggest representation of the campaign, including the well-fancied Stepwise at Navan today, but more importantly the Aga Khan’s Zand in tomorrow’s TRM Silver Stakes.
The reputation Zand generated in a couple of runs as a two year old means he is a 14/1 shot in early ante-post lists for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby in three weeks’ time and an impressive victory against nine opponents in this 10-furlong event could see him right in the Classic mix against Ruler Of The World et al.
However, Zand does have it to prove against some high-class opposition, most notably the Irish Guineas third Trading Leather, himself a single figure price in Irish Derby betting, and Lines Of Battle who is another intriguing starter this weekend.
'Foot trouble'
"Zand had foot trouble which is most of the reason he is so late coming out. He's in good form and has some potential but that's all you can say at the moment. And this is a good test," said Oxx.
Lines Of Battle was last seen making a very decent fist of alien American dirt in the Kentucky Derby, where he ran on to finish seventh to Orb. He had previously landed the UAE Derby on Tapeta and looks a horse that will relish the forecast quick going.
Like Zand and Trading Leather, Lines Of Battle holds an Irish Derby entry and an eye-catching success against half-a-dozen older horses for any of the Classic aspirants could make this €42,000 event a significant trial.
Kerisa is the Oxx hope in the mile-and-a-half fillies handicap and the Leopardstown winner could reverse Navan form with Valbucca on these fast conditions. Oxx's Mourani has a pull at the weights for a half-length defeat by Plinth at Navan last time when both line up for the mile and a half handicap but the Ballydoyle hope looks open to further improvement.
Ballydoyle's newcomer in the opening juvenile maiden is a son of the 1,000 Guineas heroine Virgiania Waters and could be one to reckon with, although Dermot Weld's newcomer, Bush Pilot, holds Group One entries later in the season.
Aidan O'Brien's hope in today's Navan opener is Wilshire Boulevard and there should be significant improvement from his Gowran debut. O'Brien also looks to have the winning of the mile fillies maiden in One True Love who only failed by millimetres to overhaul Ramsa at Naas on Monday.
Johnny Murtagh officially saddled his first winner as a trainer last Saturday and sends five horses to Navan. His decision to give Municipal a quick reappearance can pay off in the six-furlong handicap after this one's second at Fairyhouse on Wednesday.
Murtagh's Elastomer looked to appreciate a sounder surface at Down Royal eight days ago and should be a major contender for the apprentice handicap. Michael Halford and Shane Foley are proving to be a formidable team and quick going also may prove the key to them picking up the mile handicap with Danzerini who upped his performance noticeably on firm ground at the Curragh last time out behind Saratoga Bay.
