13 declared for Gladness Stakes

The Flat season gathers pace at the Curragh on Sunday with the first Group race of the year, the Castlemartin/La Louviere Studs Gladness Stakes, the highlight on an eight race card beginning at 2.15.

The seven furlongs Group 3 event has previously provided an interesting clash between the classic generation and the older horses but this year the conditions have been changed excluding the three-year-olds.

However it has not hindered the competitiveness of the race with 13 declared including four British challengers.

Monsieur Bond, a close up sixth to Refuse To Bend in the 2,000 Guineas last year, is probably the classiest of the quartet and he appeared unlucky when reappearing over six furlongs at Doncaster last Saturday. Orientor, supplemented at a cost of E7,000, finished ahead of Brian Smart´s charge in that Doncaster race but the placings may now be reversed.

Desert Fantasy showed remarkable improvement last term, winning a handicap over this course and distance off a rating of 60 and going on to finish up the season by landing a Listed race at headquarters. He may prove the pick of the home contingent which also includes One More Round, fit from a spell in Dubai, and seven furlong specialist Abunawwas.

The Oak Lodge & Hamford Sires Loughbrown Stakes is the main supporting race, and Wathab can do his bit to advertise the form of current 2,000 Guineas favourite One Cool Cat.

The Cadeaux Genereux colt has moved across the Curragh over the winter from Kevin Prendergast to Dermot Weld´s yard, and earned a juvenile rating of 115 when a length runner-up to One Cool Cat here in the National Stakes.

Wathab´s six rivals include another highly tried juvenile Newton while, on the other hand, Amarula Ridge and Dabiroun have both won their only start at this venue and have plenty of scope for improvement.

Alan Magee