It's that time of the year once more, where, after the brief winter hiatus, our attention shifts to the prominent competitions.
Undoubtedly, the Kerry Oaks, Dublin Cup, and Rural Kennels Open Unraced are presently in progress, but the foremost Category One contest is the Gold Cup at Shelbourne Park, and preparations are in full swing.
On Saturday night, Optic Chico unquestionably made a strong bid for contention. In what was remarkably his inaugural run over the standard trip at Shelbourne Park, the star trained by Robert Gleeson displayed exceptional prowess, triumphing over the recent Christmas Oaks victor, Rathdown Molly, with a remarkable time of 28.23 in bitterly cold conditions.
This performance could have easily breached the 28-second barrier in more favourable weather conditions. Optic Chico will undoubtedly be accompanied by numerous other prominent names in the Gold Cup, where the winner’s purse of €16,000 makes the pursuit worthwhile.
The Gold Cup commences on Saturday, 3rd February, and is anticipated to be the final major competition held at Shelbourne Park before significant ground floor refurbishments commence.