In-form Declan Queally ‘on cloud nine’ heading to Leopardstown

Declan Queally is relishing the opportunity to see his Lisroe Farm stable challenge for top honours at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown this weekend.

The Waterford-based trainer will arrive in Dublin following a brilliant double at Gowran Park last week where Rocky’s Diamond claimed the Grade Two John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle before Queally sat in the saddle to guide Carrigmoorna Beech to success in the P.J. Foley Memorial INH Flat Race by a huge 12 lengths.

His rich vein of form continued when he was aboard I’ll Sort That, who held on to take top honours ahead of Theflyingking by a neck at Fairyhouse two days later for a third successive victory.

Five of his stable stars will make the 200-kilometre journey north to Leopardstown as he bids to battle with the heavyweights of National Hunt racing.

“On cloud nine at the moment, the horses are running great and we’ve got a couple of good, quality horses in the yard that makes all the difference,” Queally said. “My confidence is open and the horses are healthy and they are running well.

“We’ve got a good system and a good team behind us, so I’m looking forward to having what looks like five runners over there over the two days, so it’s a big thing for a small yard, especially in the south of Ireland.”

He has an entry in the opening race of the festival, as Mozzies Sister lines up in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle.

The six-year-old has made multiple starts in Pattern company in her young career, finishing third and second on her last two appearances at Navan and Limerick respectively, but will step up to Grade One level for the first time on Saturday.

Mozzies Sister is currently sixth in the market, behind four Willie Mullins runners and a Gordon Elliott entry, with thoughts of a trip to Cheltenham sure to be enhanced with a positive performance.

“The syndicate made it a plan, after Limerick, to go for this race. We’ve stuck to the plan and they are all geared to go. There are 10 owners and they are all going there with their wives and family, and they are really looking forward to it,” Queally said.

“If she runs respectably in Leopardstown, there’s probably a good chance she’ll actually go for the Albert Bartlett. She’s a syndicate’s dream, she’s paid for herself easily with the prize-money won and she’s paid for the training fees.

“She’s been second in a Grade Two, second in a Grade Three and she’s been placed in two graded bumpers. If she runs well on Saturday, we’ll probably push forward and run at Cheltenham again – three miles around there and a hectic gallop, it will suit her. There’s no getting to the end of her.”

Bacchanalian is another in Grade One territory, in the Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle.

The son of Siyouni won by four and a half lengths last time out at Fairyhouse and is expected to relish the soft conditions at the Foxrock venue, which Queally believes will boost his chances.

“He came out of Fairyhouse fine. He’s a strong juvenile and he loves heavy ground – and I see the ground is soft-heavy this morning,” he added.

“I don’t know if he’s going to be good enough, but I think everything will suit anyway, which is very, very important.

“Just see how he goes. Again, his owner, only a young lad, Shane Wilson, took a chance in buying him and he said ‘look, chuck him in the Triumph’ – and he will probably be in the Boodles as well.”

Carrigmoornaspruce is looking to complete a hat-trick of victories in the Coolmore N.H. Sires Luxembourg Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race on Sunday, where she will face Tom Cooper’s Amen Kate, who inflicted the only defeat of her career on debut, and Willie Mullins’ star Future Prospect – winner by nine lengths on her debut at Fairyhouse last month.

“I worked her on Tuesday, she came out of Leopardstown lovely,” Queally said. “She was probably only 80 per cent ready going there and she’s in a good place; she’s fresh, she’s well and I like to think she’s improved a little again.

“I don’t think she will be going to Cheltenham. We will have to see how Sunday goes and I’ll have to speak to her owners, she’s only five. She’s probably still a bit weak, but we will see how the weekend goes.

“The fact that it is a €100,000 Grade Two bumper for mares, this has kind of been the plan, so we will see if she is able to take in Cheltenham afterwards. She’s very geared up now for Sunday.”