Recital Still Remains Leading Derby Contender Despite Ballysax Defeat

It was strange in some ways to see trainer, Aidan O’Brien expressing his pleasure with the run of his Group One Criterium de St Cloud winner, Recital, in the Group Three Ballysax Stakes over one mile two furlongs at Leopardstown on Sunday. The three year old son of Montjeu is one of Ballydoyle’s leading contenders for this year’s Epsom Derby and went off 4/6 favourite but could only manage third place in the valuable Derby trial, beaten by Jim Bolger’s filly, Banimpire with O’Brien stablemate and pacemaker, Regent Street in second.

O’Brien said that he thought “Recital ran a lovely race although he was a bit fresh being his first run of the season.” He added that he was “delighted with the run” and all being well, Recital will be back on May 5th to take his chance in the Group One, Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial; a race dominated by O’Brien in recent times with seven winners in the past ten years.

The reaction of bookmakers to the performance of Recital was understandably mixed with some shortening the odds on Derby success whilst others eased him in the market and his price now ranges from 8/1 to 12/1 for Epsom glory.

Held up at the rear by jockey Ryan Moore, Recital proved hard to handle early on, clearly not enjoying things at the back which meant Moore was at work immediately on him. It did not seem to help that his stablemate Regent Street was setting a more than decent pace which effectively had the field strung out as they rounded the final bend. Regent Street kept finding more for his jockey, Colm O’Donoghue, who perhaps was making a point to O’Brien (who has yet to state his number one jockey), was still leading as they hit the two pole and Recital, although was making some ground up, was clearly not going to get past him.

With Regent Street holding on, it took a great bit of timing from jockey, Kevin Manning on Banimpire, who simply picked up and charged past the leader taking the race by ½ a length from Regent Street, with Recital a further length away in third.

Jim Bolger confirmed that Banimpire has an entry for the 1000 Guineas, but based on this performance she looks like she would get further and should also improve and a drop back to a mile may not suit and a tilt at the Irish and English Oaks is the more realistic target for which she remains a 33/1 chance for the Epsom renewal.