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Curragh report: Luxembourg gets scare in winning comeback

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

See how Luxembourg shaped on his anticipated return to action

Luxembourg was made to work hard for victory as he returned to action in the Fitzdares Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh.

Aidan O’Brien’s colt was a Group One winner at two and finished third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on his only start so far this term, with a muscular issue scuppering a planned Derby run and keeping him sidelined for most of the summer.

However, confidence was high on his Group Three comeback at the Curragh with Luxembourg sent off the 2-9 favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore.

Taking on five rivals, Luxembourg was niggled along at the top of the straight and while he eventually moved to the front, Insinuendo was poised to challenge after switching to get a run.

The mare appeared to be getting the upper hand inside the 10-furlong distance, but Luxembourg really stuck his head out and was rewarded for his efforts with a neck verdict.

"Over the moon" - Aidan O'Brien gives the post-race debrief to Gary O'Brien

When asked if he was relieved, O’Brien said: “Very, we didn’t think he’d ever get here.

“We thought that he had no chance of running after what happened to him. Everyone did a great job to get him over his first mishap, he was off for a long time.

“Then he came back and it wasn’t smooth with him. Jamie who looks after him did an incredible job.

“I didn’t think he’d get here, our eye was on the Irish Champion Stakes and obviously we knew you couldn’t go to a Champion Stakes without a run and this was the only place we could run.”

O’Brien was pleased with how the race panned out and how Luxembourg rose to the challenge.

He added: “First time back we didn’t want a grueller because he was only ready to start. It was brilliant really because they didn’t go too fast and he had to quicken and run hard for the last two (furlongs), which he wanted to do before he’d go into a big championship race.

“We were over the moon. We knew Willie’s (McCreery) filly was a good filly (Insinuendo) as we’d ran against her earlier in the year.

“They ran hard the last two and Ryan gave him a lovely ride and taught him. He had to sprint the last two furlongs and I couldn’t be happier.

“Ryan said he moved up, got there and just shut down. He’s used to doing that in his work, just getting there and coming with horses.

“Obviously he wouldn’t have been edged up in any way. A lot of his work would be physical core work rather than sharpness, because he wasn’t ready to start sharpening.

“We were only going to have one race to sharpen him and then we could take him home and get the rest.

“I can’t tell you how delighted we would be with him. He’s a horse that can go a very high tempo and quicken off it.

“Ryan was very good on him. He had to wake him up, make him get down and do it without being too serious on him. He was brilliant at that and he found when he had to find.

“Going to the line he was coasting again.”

Coral go 5-1 about Luxembourg’s chances in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes on September 10, while the same firm left him unchanged as a 14-1 shot for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

O’Brien said: “The plan was to go on to the Champion Stakes. We came here with High Chaparral before and he came on lovely from it.

“This horse had a lot more to come on because he had a big set-back but we could not be happier with that.

“I thought he would improve 20 to 30 per cent from today. Hopefully now he comes out of it OK.”

Raise You rises once more at HQ

Raise You bounced back from a luckless run last time out to come home a cosy winner in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh.

The six-year-old impressed at this track on his seasonal return in May, landing a Listed heat with the minimum of fuss despite a slightly tardy start.

Sent off short odds next time out at Limerick, he blew his chance with another slow start, eventually being beaten a length and a quarter by leading Ebor hope Earl Of Tyrone.

However, his supporters had lost little faith and Raise You was the 5-4 favourite for this Group Three affair, with O’Brien’s runner easily moving up to challenge Search For A Song with two furlongs to run.

Shane Crosse had to push on a little inside the distance of the 14-furlong heat, but ultimately Raise You came home two lengths in front of Dermot Weld’s mare.

"He just keeps improving" - Brendan Powell on Raise You

O’Brien’s assistant Brendan Powell said: “It couldn’t have worked out better. We were a bit worried that there would be no pace, but luckily enough Nathan (Crosse on Seattle Creek) has gone on and made the gallop.

“Then Chris (Hayes on Search For A Song) has probably helped us by going on when he did.

“Shane said he relaxed today, we usually drop him out but he couldn’t today with what happened last time.

“The idea was to try to sit handy if there was a gallop, which happened. He said he travelled great, he thought he might go away from the second a bit quicker, but when he got there he just kept lengthening and he’s gone away and done it well in the end.

“He’s just keeps improving all the time. I suppose it’ll be the Leger now and then see where we go from there.

“That ground would probably be quick enough for him as well. He’s relaxing way more at home now, Paddy Vaughan rides him every day now after Leighton (Aspell) left. He wasn’t the easiest, he was a tearaway, but the two of them have done a great job.

“I remember when we came for the amateur derby last year we were sort of thinking there was no point going there as he wouldn’t get the trip but he put that to bed!”

Lyons excited about Mauiewowie

Colin Keane and Ger Lyons continue their fine record in the Listed juvenile prize

Mauiewowie edged out Treasure Trove in a thrilling finish to the Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club Curragh Stakes at the Curragh.

Sent off the 7-4 favourite after narrowly missing out in Listed company last time out, Mauiewowie was made to work hard for victory, with Colin Keane’s mount only just shading it by a short head on the line as Funny Money Honey came home a two-and-a-half-length third.

It was a third win in a row in the race for Ger Lyons and Keane, with another three in the last nine years.

“She’s a lovely filly and a filly we always liked,” said Lyons.

Ger Lyons plans to climb the grades with the likeable Mauiewowie

“We have a load of backward two-year-olds at home and she’s the one that has always been precocious.

“I was very worried about today’s ground and they’ve done a marvellous job.

“We’ll see how she comes out of it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t see her again this year and we look after her until next year.

“We won’t rush her and let her come along. She’ll come into her own over six furlongs with a little bit of juice.

“We have loads of options now, the Blenheim over six furlongs, with a bit of juice, but I’ll let her tell me and let her grow up because she’s a work in progress and she’ll be a lovely horse for next year.”

Group ambitions for Daamberdiplomat

Johnny Murtagh has a Group race target in mind for Daamberdiplomat (10-1) after he made it second time lucky in the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden.

Well beaten by the highly-regarded Hans Andersen on his initial start at this track last month, the Cotai Glory colt took a leap forward as he fended off Bird Of Play to triumph by half a length.

“That was pretty impressive. I did think that he had come on at home,” said Murtagh.

“It was visually very impressive, there were a lot of fancied horses in that race today.

“I don’t know what to do with him next to tell you the truth. He’s still a bit immature and he should improve so I don’t think I’ll rush him.

“I might give him four or five weeks and we might look at the Killavullan towards the end of the year, maybe stepping him back up to seven because I always thought he was a seven-furlong horse.”

Palace Gardens sprang a surprise as she landed the TRI Equestrian Nursery Handicap at odds of 22-1 for jockey Wayne Lordan and trainer Kevin Coleman.

Palce Gardens strikes at the seventh time of asking in the first-time blinkers

Placed once in six previous outings, Palace Gardens proved a length and a half too good for Lasmuigh this time – with the Gutaifan filly now set to be sold.

“She has loads of ability, we had her entered in loads of big races early in the season but she’s been very disappointing,” said Coleman.

“She’s had a few excuses, she’s been in season quite a bit and we found it had to work around that.

“There are a few times she’s just disappointed but she has loads of ability and is probably the fastest two-year-old we have.

“She’s in the sales next week, we need to make room and I think she’ll be a perfect filly for England.

“She’ll win plenty of races and Wayne thought there was plenty there.”

Johnny Levins has a winter campaign in Dubai in mind for Prisoner’s Dilemma (3-1 favourite) after he claimed the Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital Handicap.

Prisoner's Dilemma wins again to continue a fine campaign

“It was a lovely performance. I was a little bit worried turning him out again very quickly,” said Levins.

“The idea of running the last day was just to sharpen him up. I have him in the Constantine Stakes at York (next Saturday) and in the Ayr Gold Cup and he just needed to learn a little bit more as he’s only started sprinting this year.

“I’m very pleased but now I’m not sure whether we’ll go to York or Ayr as I might put him away and train him for Dubai.

“If I’ve ever had a horse tailor made for Dubai it’s him. Dubai will be first preference.”

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