Trainer eyeing Group 1 breakthrough with rapidly improving filly who posted 'very exciting' win last time

Copacabana Sands's Group 3 win at Leopardstown on Thursday marked trainer Michael O'Callaghan's 200th career winner and he appears to have unearthed a potential star who he hopes can compete for Longchamp glory in this year's Prix de la Foret.

The three-year-old joined O'Callaghan at the beginning of the year and was making her fourth start for the Curragh yard in the Ballycorus Stakes, a race which looked hotly contested on paper, but the 11-2 shot powered through the soft ground and swept by her rivals to win impressively. 

Her runs this season have suggested she is improving at a rate of knots and it is this rapid improvement that is invigorating O'Callaghan for the year ahead.

He said: "Once a filly starts to improve, you don't know where they will stop. It was a proper Group 3 race on Thursday and she didn't have a smooth passage, so for her to go and quicken by some very smart horses was very exciting.

"She's grown and matured physically and has slotted into our routine well. She's learned to switch off a little and she looks the type of filly who is going to continue progressing. 

Michael O'Callaghan: "She looks the type of filly who is going to continue progressing"Credit: Patrick McCann

“We'll give her some time off now as she's had three runs in good company and she's very willing. She leaves it all on the track, so she deserves a small break."

While O'Callaghan has 13 stakes successes to his name, he is yet to enjoy a Group 1 breakthrough. However, Copacabana Sands has him dreaming that this could be about to change. 

"We will probably give her one or two fancy entries for later in the year and the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp could be a possible target," he said. "We'll sit down with everybody now and come up with a plan and maybe work back from there." 

The Ballycorus gave O'Callaghan his first Group win of the year, but he has plenty more horses to look forward to in the months ahead.

"Copacabana Sands is flying the flag at the moment for the stable following her win but I have plenty of nice two-year-olds who I haven't even got close to taking the covers off yet," he said. 

"We've got only 40 boxes here, so it's nice to be coming across these good horses regularly and it's fantastic to have owner Barbara Keller involved. She got a great kick out of the win at Leopardstown."

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