Alan kicks off May in style with two potential stars sparking the celebrations

May 1

Barbury kicked off  the month of May in perfect fashion with Alan celebrating a double on the opening day, Baron Noir winning the bumper at the Punchestown Festival, while Kurakka made it third time lucky when landing the 10-furlong novice at Chelmsford’s evening meeting.

Ross James hugged the inside rail virtually the whole way round at Punchestown, and, roared home by his enthusiastic bunch of owners who make up the Noel Fehily racing syndicate, Baron Noir powered away in the final furlong to win by a length and a quarter.

Fehily said:”I saw Baron Noir finish third in what looked a good bumper at Leopardstown in March of last year, and, though it took time, I eventually managed to get the job done.

“We sent him to Alan and he won first time out for us at Plumpton in early December, after which we set our stall out with this one race in mind.

“The plan has worked out a treat, and 35-40 of the owners have come over to cheer him home, so we’ll be having some party tonight, that’s for sure.”

Ruby Walsh, working for Racing TV, was lavish in his praise of Baron Noir – “I thought he was one of those who really stood out in the preliminaries and he’ll be a lovely novice hurdler next season” he said – and ‘The Baron’ has the size and scope to suggest that Ruby has spotted another good ‘un there.

Just 20 minutes later Kurakka was an impressive winner at Chelmsford, beating two highly-rated youngsters in Desert Shadow and Altareq in convincing fashion.

Rossa Ryan and Kurakka were always travelling best, and when the jockey asked him to put the race to bed entering the final furlong Kurakka, clearly appreciating this step up in trip after showing plenty of promise in two races over a mile, pulled clear to win by a length and three-quarters.

It will be interesting to see what mark the handicapper gives Kurakka, but he is clearly the type to make up into a smart middle-distance colt, and Alan can reflect that 110,000gns was money well spent when he bought him at last year’s Craven Breeze-Up Sales at Newmarket.

Alan owns Kurakka in partnership with Mrs Sweeney, who has had a fistful of decent horses including Brioni, who is scheduled to run next at York’s Dante meeting later this month.

Together with Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock, Alan bought three more juveniles at yesterday’s HQ Guineas Breeze-Up, a Coulsty colt for 85,000gns, a Churchill filly for 65,000gns and a son of Ulysses for what might prove a bargain 10.000gns.