Current Option can make punters smile in Gladness

Ryan Moore chats to Aidan O'Brien after winning the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown last Sunday. The duo can strike at the Curragh today with Broome. Photo: PA Wire

Michael Verney

April 17 2021 02:30 AM

There’s plenty to be happy about with a top-class field tackling today’s TRI Equestrian Gladness Stakes (2.35) at the Curragh as Lancaster House eyes back-to-back victories in a fascinating Group Three contest.

Aidan O’Brien’s five-year-old didn’t cut the mustard in better company after last year’s success, but the son of Galileo commands serious respect on his seasonal debut, having opened his last two campaigns with easy wins.

Johnny Murtagh’s Know It All – a Group Three winner last July – performed with credit at the highest level when finishing a close-up third in the Prix Rothschild as well as fourth behind stablemate Champers Elysees in the Matron Stakes.

Bigger prizes await for Ben Coen’s mount and the Lord Kanaloa filly is unlikely to be race-fit first time out in a competitive heat which also sees British raider Brad The Brief trying to plunder the prize for Tom Dascombe.

Jim Bolger’s Fiscal Rules (second) and Willie McCreery’s Lustown Baba (fourth) also renew acquaintances from a Listed event at Cork two weeks ago and are live contenders, but the best betting prospect may be an each-way play on Current Option.

Ado McGuinness’ charge landed a Group Three on his final start last season to add to Listed honours and a big handicap pot collected earlier at the Galway Festival and there’s no reason to suggest why the five-year-old can’t make further progress.

The Camelot gelding is proven at this level and having blown some cobwebs away at Dundalk last month, the Dublin trainer expects him “to run a big race” and he can make the frame in a contest full of star power.

McGuinness also has a live chance in the other Group Three at Irish racing’s HQ with Bowerman bidding to follow up his valuable success in Qatar with victory in the Holden Plant Rentals Alleged Stakes (3.10).

The seven-year-old is up against it, though, as Ronan Whelan’s mount must concede 3lb to Broome and that looks a stiff task after O’Brien’s charge bounced back to his best with Listed success at Naas last month.

Broome swept all before him that day and the son of Australia, ridden by Ryan Moore, can continue to recapture the type of form which saw finish a close fourth in the 2019 Epsom Derby, despite the best attempts of a Joseph O’Brien trio led by Pondus.

The focus switches to jumps tomorrow where there will be a parade of stars at Tramore with Minella Times, Minella Indo, Honeysuckle, Put The Kettle On and Balko Des Flos all set to go on show at Henry de Bromhead’s local track in Waterford.

There will be no spectators there to appreciate them but Rachael Blackmore will still be out to keep her Irish jump jockeys’ championship bid on track with Gigginstown’s Game Of War one to keep an eye on for her boss De Bromhead in the Green Acre Marketing Handicap Chase (3.48)