The Diarmida – Grade II
GP Race #10 1 3/8m InTurf Graded Stake
Purse $215.000 For Four Year Olds And Upward.

1 King Que Niagra D J C Racing Stables Lopez P 124 —

Now an eight-year-old, this brilliant champion and hall of famer will be looking to get back to winning ways here off a great draw and with an in-form jockey. It is always tough with older horses at HRP to really know when they have had enough and though this one is on a five-run losing streak. I don’t think we can call it a day on the old fella just yet. Fourth in the BC Turf last year he disappointed at the end of the year in the HOL Turf Cup, but I think that run may have just been down to a long season rather than any loss of enthusiasm. His first effort this year saw him third beaten under a length in the Pagasus World Turf Cup and that run was certainly enough to convince me there may be one more season in his legs. He has beaten all these before and I for one will be cheering the old champ home if he is in front with a furlong to run.

2 Showable Set Angelos Stable Rodriguez A R 124 —

A young whipper snapper compared to the horse inside him he is a six-year-old with a very good record and the perfect draw. He got home in the TAM Stakes last time after a win in the Sycamore last Autumn so is clearly at the top of his game and may be ready for a breakthrough effort. Certainly, a win chance.

3 Chagrin Falls Mo Mentum Farm Berrios Hector 124 —

Another evergreen type he took the Shadwell Turf Mile at grade one last year but then disappointed a little in the BC Mile where they just went a bit fast early on for his ageing joints. He took on the 12 furlongs on seasonal debut in the Connolly BC Turf and ran out a dominant winner suggesting he may be ready for these longer trips in his later years. A definite win chance from a good draw.

4 Great Vault Winning Link Stables Gallardo A A 124 —

A deep closing type who has been highly tried in his last four and done pretty well. I do get the impression that he may be the type that finds one or two too good at this level. Two big efforts over this trip in the Singspiel and the Smith at the end of the year saw two good placings and he has certainly improved a lot on the free track where he had been racing before being bought last summer. An each way shot.

5 Animal House Night Rider Stables Zayas E J 124 —

Another war horse that loves these marathon trips, I do get the same feeling about him as I do with Great Vault in that he always runs well but may just be the type that finds a couple too good at the higher levels. A decent effort in the Connolly BC Turf on seasonal debut to be a running on third make him a place chance.

6 Neds Influence The Sidley Stud Franco M 124 —

Took the DMR Handicap last year and was in good form at the time but in his last three he has been a little disappointing. On speed but weakening in the Connolly BC Turf last time much like his run in the BC Turf, you do have to worry that his form may have peaked last year. At his best he is a contender and could win, but you have to take that on trust.

7 Kidding High Voltage Smith M E 124 —

I remember a few years back when development was much different, and most horses were cooked by their fourth year that a race like this would’ve been a real eye opener. Now, of course, as the adjustment was made horses can hold their form twice that long and it is great to see these horses do battle year after year. This seven-year-old was second to Neds Influence in the DMR Handicap last year but whereas that horse went downhill, this one has just kept getting better. He very nearly won the Hirsch and then got some compensation for that narrow defeat when taking the Smith with a strong display of front running. After a break he came back looking as good as ever to take a competitive allowance at SA and must certainly be considered a strong chance and one of the ones with the best recent form.

8 King Z Mb Stables Ortiz I Jr 124 —

The winning chances don’t stop the wider we get as we find this six-year-old who is coming off a last gasp win in the McKnight last time. Hailing from the powerful Mb Stables he was very good last year maturing late into a BC contender with a win in the Read Stakes. He took a similar route last year in taking the McKnight and then coming to this race finishing third on that occasion and there is a good chance he will do at least as well as that this year.

9 Diamond Haggis John Henry Hernandez R M 124 —

One of the youngsters in the race as only a four-year-old he had a huge year last year as a three-year-old and was sold to John Henry in the Fractious Stable fire sale for a reasonable $476.000. A brave effort saw him second in the BC Mile and then he very nearly won the HOL Derby next time out confirming him as one of the best turfers in his generation.
His seasonal debut came in the Pegasus where he was vying for the lead for the first half of the race but fell away a little at the end to be sixth. I am always shy of four-year-olds at this time of year because of that development change that I mentioned earlier but this one is certainly a top-class animal and is sure to be well fancied against a few that may be reaching the end of their careers.

10 Rastaban Riggins Racing Geroux F 124 —

Another four-year-old, he too ran some good races at three and wasn’t far behind Diamond Haggis in the HOL Derby when third. He ran well on seasonal debut when a close second to Showable Set in the TAM Stakes so he has proven he has maybe caught up on the development curve better than some four-year-olds and he may turn out to be the best hope of the “youngsters”.

11 Albaquirky Santan Stables Gaffalione T 124 —

This horse was such an accomplished sprinter that it seemed we would be seeing him as a regular in the BC Sprint after his appearance in 2023. But then in true HRP style he went to longer trips and has pretty much been exactly the same horse over twice the trip he was excelling at before. Third in the BC Turf last year his trademark late finish is a sight to see when he gets in right but as we all know there are a few things that have to be sorted through by the race engine to give these sorts a chance of winning. He is a great horse, there is no doubt, and we know he will come home probably the strongest, but you just have to hope and rely on the AI and the race engine and that makes him a risky betting proposition. Although flying home in the Pegasus last time he was well behind in eighth but that doesn’t mean that will happen again…. or of course it could! The funny thing about him is that he was a closing sprinter and now he is a closing extreme router one of the very few horses with a running style that is carbon copied regardless of pace.

12 Fanatical Empire Bigchief Stables Velazquez J R 124 —

In the car park we find Fanatical Empire the third of the four-year-olds and the third with a wider draw. He won the Nashville Derby last year as well as the American Turf and after a close run in the Hirsch where he finished close up in third, he went to the BC Turf live chance. Sadly, he was given a rotten draw that day and after running up on the speed and wide he faded away rather predictably. I have a feeling this one may turn out to be the best of these as the year goes on but today coming off a long break and with a bad draw, he may just have to settle for an eye-catching run.

SUMMARY

I really like Fanatical Empire, but I worry about the draw and the lack of a recent run so may look elsewhere for today’s winner. If The King is anywhere near his best, he will win from his nice barrier but the same could be said for most of the runners here all of whom have a proven track record. The one enigma in the race is Albaquirky who could out finish any horse in this race if he gets the right run at the right time. Good luck to all.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES