Course Form King Art Power Dazzels in Gr.2 Sapphire Stakes at The Curragh
Tim Easterby’s Art Power maintained his perfect record in Ireland with a fifth win in the country, proving much too good in the Gr.2 Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. The six-year-old son of Dark Angel has also won the Gr.2 Greenlands Stakes and the Gr.3 Renaissance Stakes (twice) at the track, as well as the Gr.3 Lacken Stakes at Naas, for all his black type wins. He was third in the 2021 Gr.1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes and, more recently, fourth in the Gr.1 July Cup. Sent off the favourite, David Allan kept things simple, bouncing out and making all. He had fellow British raider White Lavender for company, but Art Power, showing no ill-effects of dropping back to the minimum trip, travelled best of all and surged away to win by four and a quarter lengths. Go Athletico was second, a head in front of Moss Tucker.
Winning jockey Allan reported “he’s been awesome and he loves coming to Ireland for some reason – nobody knows why but he seems to come to life here.
“Bringing him back to five (furlongs) we thought might be an issue but I’ve always been confident five is going to be okay for him, especially if the ground is soft. It went right up his street today and it all worked out perfect.”
He added “the way he was powering up that hill I thought ‘they can’t go that fast to catch me’, especially in that ground, he was powering away.
“I heard the commentator shout that I’d gone clear so I just coasted home.”
Art Power was bred by Owenstown Bloodstock and cost €110,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale when purchased on behalf of Owners King Power Racing by Sackville Donald. He is a half-brother to the Gr.3 Ballyogan Stakes winner Penny Pepper and the Listed Prix Ronde de Nuit winner Morning Frost. They are out of the dual Listed winner and Gr.3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes and Gr.3 Minstrel Stakes-placed Evening
Time.
Scurry Glory for Strike Red and Connections
Earlier on the card Yeomanstown homebred Strike Red struck for north Yorkshire in the Curragh’s €100,000 Paddy Power Scurry Handicap today, winning for trainer Richard Fahey and providing jockey Bill Garrity with a big-race winner on his first visit to Ireland. The five-year-old was produced from off the pace to eventually lead inside the final furlong and beat Aussie Girl and 18 other rivals.
Fahey wasn’t present and Garrity commented “he’s been a good horse to me and a good horse to the yard. He keeps picking up these premier handicaps and I’m absolutely delighted.
“I was confident, the guv’nor said ‘you’ve got a good draw so just keep down the stand’s side’. I didn’t think Ripon was really suited to him – the ground was a little bit quick the last day.
“He likes coming through horses and he was always playing in the race really. When he gets there he probably doesn’t do a lot, he just pricks his lugs. He enjoys those big runner handicaps and it’s great to see him win.
“I just tried to pick my time and execute the plan.”
