Trio produce strong performances in Curragh Classics

Distant Storm, Pacific Avenue and Abashiri all emerged with plenty of positives from their appearances in the Irish 2,000 and Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh over the weekend.

Having finished third in the 2,000 Guineas earlier in the month, Distant Storm franked the form of that race as he chased home Newmarket runner-up Gstaad on Saturday, with Pacific Avenue running an excellent race to take third.

Distant Storm could now step up in distance, with the Hampton Court Stakes and a potential trip to North America both under consideration for the Night Of Thunder colt. Pacific Avenue may also head to Royal Ascot for the Jersey Stakes.

Abashiri showed a willing attitude as she finished third behind established G1 stars Precise and True Love in Sunday’s Irish 1,000 Guineas, in which she made the running and kept on despite finding herself squeezed for room close home.

The Frankel homebred was only making her third career start, including two appearances in Classics, and she appears strongly placed to secure a top-level victory over the coming months.

Pinito had finished a short-head second in last season’s G1 Queensland Oaks and the four-year-old enjoyed a successful return to Brisbane as she captured Saturday’s G3 Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Plate at Doomben.

Winner of the G3 Aspiration Quality at Randwick in March, Pinito looks set to extend her Queensland stay and bid for another bumper pay day in next month’s Magic Millions National Classic at Eagle Farm.

Catullus made an impressive first handicap appearance when taking a valuable Goodwood contest by nearly four lengths on Saturday, while Mountain Cat continued an unbeaten start to his career with a decisive novice win at Wolverhampton on Monday.

In Japan, Soul On Fire enhanced her good record at Kyoto as she comfortably won an allowance race on Saturday, adding to her maiden victory at the course in January. Discreet Cat colt Fireman also enjoyed allowance race success on the same day with a three-length verdict at Tokyo.

Ombudsman is the headline act at Sandown Park this Thursday, with the three-time G1 winner making his first start since capturing the Dubai Turf in the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes, while Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Komorebi is due to run in Sunday’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club.