Hotazhell © Photo Healy Racing
Jessica Harrington is optimistic that Hotazhell will continue his progression in the Montane Developments Beresford Stakes at the Curragh this Saturday.
Fourth when favourite to make a successful start to his career at Leopardstown, the Too Darn Hot colt has since won at the Curragh and landed the Group Three Tyros Stakes back at Leopardstown in late July.
He was last seen pushing Henri Matisse all the way at Group Two level in the Futurity Stakes and Harrington believes her charge will improve for the step up to a mile this weekend.
“We’re hoping he’ll run a big race. I think he’s improving and getting stronger all the time, so fingers crossed I think he’ll run a very big race,” said the Moone-based trainer.
“I think the step up to a mile will definitely suit him. We’ve had a fair bit of rain, not as much as Newmarket, but if the ground is on the soft side, that will be fine for him.”
The Beresford Stakes has unsurprisingly been dominated by Aidan O’Brien, with Saratoga Springs (1997), St Nicholas Abbey (2009), Saxon Warrior (2017) and Luxembourg (2021) among his 21 previous winners.
This year, the Ballydoyle handler fires a twin assault, with Trinity College – a 12-length winner on his latest outing at Galway – joined by his blinkered stablemate Lambourn who followed up a debut victory at Killarney with a Listed triumph at Craon in France.
Joseph O’Brien is represented by Tennessee Stud who confirmed the promise of his debut third at Galway with a clear-cut win at Tipperary four weeks ago, while the field is completed by Andrew Balding’s British raider Windlord
O’Brien said: “It looks a good race, as you’d expect, but our horse won well last time and we think he’s going to be capable of competing at this grade.
“I think you’ll find that it will work out a strong race and we’re hopeful our horse can hold his own.
“He won over nine furlongs the last day, so we know he stays and we’re looking forward to running him.”
The Juddmonte-owned Windlord has an impeccable pedigree, being by Dubawi and out of a daughter of Goldikova, and was visually impressive when opening his account at the third attempt at York.
“He obviously ran a big race the last day to win a maiden at York and we’ve had a bit of rain in Ireland, so that will suit him,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.
“I think a mile in the Curragh and on good ground is just perfect. He showed Andrew a nice level of ability and we probably thought he would do that on his second start, but he was still a bit green.
“I think it took the last run for the penny to really drop for him and he was impressive when it did.”
