O’Callaghan eyes maiden Group One with Steel Bull
STEEL BULL has changed ownership and the impressive Molecomb Stakes winner will bid to break Michael O’Callaghan’s Group One duck when supplemented into Sunday’s Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh for a cost of €20,000.
The Clodovil colt has won both his juvenile starts in commanding fashion, most recently at Group Three level in Goodwood, and O’Callaghan sold the exciting sprinter to Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez while retaining training responsibilities.
Regalado-Gonzalez’s familiar red
and success Patrick yellow Sarsfield by the silks Joseph have and been O’Brien Speak carried In pair Colours to of this year, and the Kildare trainer is hoping that Steel Bull can end his wait for a top-level triumph.
“He’s a very exciting two-year-old, he’s answered every question very well so as long as he’s OK he’ll be supplemented,” O’Callaghan said.
“Most years we find a good juvenile or two and thankfully we’ve found another which is very exciting. Hopefully he can be the one who breaks my duck in a Group One.”
One of those likely to face him is Ken Condon’s Railway Stakes winner Law Of Indices and the Osborne Lodge trainer continued his scintillating form with victory for Miss Amulet (12/1) in the inaugural Listed Marwell Stakes at Naas yesterday.
A good season got even better as Billy Lee’s mount came with a late surge to win a shade cosily and upset Ger Lyons’ hot favourite Frenetic (evens) by three quarters of a length.
Sceptical will also be on show this weekend with Denis Hogan’s stable star dropping down in class and tackling Group Three glory in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Kildare track.
Talented apprentice Joey Sheridan will be back in the plate on Sunday having missed his two Group One assignments in the UK – Frankie Dettori was aboard on both occasions – and big things are expected from the Exceed And Excel gelding.
Hogan reported the 116-rated sprinter to be “in great nick” after performing with credit at the highest level in recent months, while stablemate Make A Challenge is taking a short break ahead of autumn targets.
“Make A Challenge is entered but will bypass that one – we’ll try and keep them apart, and this will hopefully be Sceptical’s day,” the 33-yearold said just days after announcing his retirement from the saddle.