Dream start for Poets Word with first four-year-old winner

Image © Healy Racing

Taurus Bay provided his sire Poet’s Word with the best possible start to his point-to-point runners on these shores when he made a winning debut in the four-year-old maiden at Comea.

A first-ever runner between the flags for the dual Group 1-winning Boardsmill Stud resident stallion, who was victorious in the 2018 King George at Ascot, the bay ran out an impressive victor at the Tipperary venue for Denis Murphy.

Sent off as the favourite, Jack Hendrick switched his mount off towards the rear of the seven-strong field for the opening two miles, before he began to catch the eye when quickly cutting through the field to move into a challenging position three from home.

It was quickly obvious that Hendrick was full of confidence as he produced his mount off the home bend, and in the end, he only had to be ridden out hands and heels in order to win by two and a half lengths.

“This is a lovely horse whose homework has always been very good,” the Wexford-based winning handler said.

“Any time we took him away to work, he always worked very well. I’d have about 25 four-year-olds for the spring and I have three by Poets Words, including this fella.”

Bought for €26,000 at last year’s Goffs Arkle Sale, Taurus Bay was bred by Caroline Berry and was swiftly added to the catalogue for the upcoming Tattersalls Cheltenham February sale on February 21st.

Poet’s Word looks set to have a big presence within the four-year-old division in 2025 with 22 of his off-spring currently having received hunter certificates for the current campaign, with Colin Bowe, Patrick Turley, Warren Ewing, Sam Curling, Cormac Doyle and Stuart Crawford among the handlers readying Poet’s Word four-year-olds for their upcoming debuts.

It proved to be a notable weekend within the four-year-old maiden division for Boardsmill Stud-resident stallions as Intense Appeal, the first four-year-old runner from the first Irish-bred crop of Sumbal, finished a very encouraging second at Kirkistown on the previous afternoon.

He is one of two four-year-olds by the former Group 2 winner that leading handler Warren Ewing has registered a hunter certificate for, with Sumbal’s first crop of Boardsmill three-year-olds set to be offered at this year’s store sales.