Aspiring yards hoping to make a mighty splash on Irish Champions Weekend

Irish Champions Weekend brings out the best of the best in Irish racing across two brilliant days at Leopardstown and the Curragh, but the action is not confined to powerhouse stables. Here are five yards hoping to make a big impression at the two-day festival.

Matthew Smith
One Cool Poet

One Cool Poet lit up the Galway festival with a trio of victories, climbing from a mark of 66 to 90 and earning himself a crack at a big pot in the "Petingo" Handicap at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Smith said: “He's flying. We were going to give him two weeks off after Galway, but we brought him in after ten days because he was in such good form. How he's going to cope with the step up in class, I don't know, and there won't be anything easy about it, but he deserves to take his chance.

"Hopefully, there's a strong pace on as he has a turn of foot. Billy [Lee] won't need any instructions and I'll leave that all down to him. I'm just hoping the improvement he showed at Galway is still there.

"He seems to have improved since Galway, so fingers crossed. Master Matt will run in the Bold Lad on Sunday as well. To have horses running at a meeting like this is great."

Andy Slattery on Rebel Tale: 'He couldn't be any better and the mile will suit him well.'Credit: Patrick McCann

Andy Slattery
Rebel Tale

Despite being a 50-1 outsider for the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh last month, Rebel Tale took a significant step forward to finish with a flourish, and went down by less than a length to Armory.

Reported to have come out of that career-best effort in rude health by Slattery, Rebel Tale will not be such a big price for Saturday's Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes.

Slattery said: “He did a piece of work the other morning and it looks as though he's improving again since the Curragh. I'm very happy with him. I thought he'd run well but to get so close to Armory surprised me a little.

"Even looking back on the race, you'd nearly say we were half unlucky as he flew home for second. He couldn't be any better and the mile will suit him well.”

Black Magic Woman: represents rookie trainer Jack DavisonCredit: Patrick McCann

Jack Davison
Black Magic Woman

Black Magic Woman provided Jack Davison with his first victory at Dundalk last August and has maintained her form all season, to the point where she could potentially provide the rookie handler with another career milestone in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Sovereign Path" Handicap at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Davison said: “To have a runner on Irish Champions Weekend, it's why we all do it. Having started training with a small string of horses, it's fantastic. As far as I can see, she's a Listed horse running in a handicap and seven furlongs is her trip.

"I would have liked a better draw but I wouldn't use it as an excuse by any means. She has to have a big chance and her form at home has been very good."

Verhoyen: has been put away for the Bold Lad since landing the ScurryCredit: Caroline Norris

Mick Grassick Jnr
Verhoyen

An impressive winner of the Scurry Handicap earlier this season, Verhoyen has been put away for the Bold Lad Handicap at the Curragh on Sunday, and Michael Grassick Jnr is hoping his patient approach with the improving sprinter can pay dividends.

He said: "It's been the plan since he won the Scurry and we've been saving him for this as we didn't want a penalty. I'm happy with him and as long as the ground is on the slow side, he has a great chance. The handicapper thinks I'm doing the right thing by running him in this as he feels he's on an upward curve – hopefully he's right."

Hamley: Peter Fahey's bargain buy bids for back-to-back ICW winsCredit: Patrick McCann

Peter Fahey
Hamley

A winner of the 'Northfields' Handicap at this fixture last year, bargain buy Hamley will bid to repeat that victory at the Curragh on Sunday and approaches the race in good form.

Fahey said: “She ran a cracker at the Curragh on Derby weekend when she flew home for fourth and they just didn't go fast enough for her the next day at Leopardstown.

"You can put a line through her run at Galway as the mile was too short for her and she didn't have a good draw but we know she operates over this course and distance and I couldn't be happier with her coming into this year's race.

"She hasn't done anything wrong all year and has slipped down a little in the handicap as well. She goes there with a great chance, and is in as good a form as she was this time last year if not better.”

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