Noel Meade keeping Helvic Dream plans secret

Noel Meade is not under pressure to make solid plans for Helvic Dream after his exciting win on Sunday in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Having completed the race behind the Broome on each of his last three outings this campaign, the four-year-old was on the winning side this time – coming out tops by a short head at the Curragh to hand his trainer a first Group One victory on the Flat.

Meade disclosed on Monday: “There’s not a bother on him this morning – he’s in good form.”

“It was great. He had a few lengths to make up (with Broome) and it’s great when it happens.”

While Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to races such as the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot for the runner-up, and the Coronation Cup at Epsom, Helvic doesn’t hold any big-race entries at this point.

Meade believes cut in the ground is vital for his charge and would not be against dropping him back in races from a mile and a quarter to a mile at some point.

He further stated: “I hadn’t really been thinking about Royal Ascot because I thought the ground would be too quick for him. Ascot in October might be worth thinking about, but Ascot in June is definitely not on my mind with him anyway.

“I haven’t really thought about where he’s going to go next, to be honest. We’ll just have to sit down and have a think about where we’re going to head.

“We wouldn’t be against bringing him back a couple of furlongs. Colin (Keane, jockey) has been thinking that for a while.

“The ground is key. We did run him on the good-ish ground at the Curragh this year and he didn’t operate on it at all.

Meanwhile, Willie Mullins’ True Self is likely to be on her travels once again later this year having enjoyed a scarce run at home last Sunday.

The eight-year-old put up her best display on the continent to date when a fast-finishing 3rd to Helvic Dream in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Before that, she had won a prestigious prize in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and also a 2nd Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Australia earlier, increasing the racing value offer at the same time.

The Chief executive officer for part-owners OTI Racing, Terry Henderson, mooted a journey to America before a likely Cox Plate challenge.

Henderson told Racing Pulse: “She’s a remarkable mare. She’ll arrive back over here in Australia as a nine-year-old and she just seems to be getting better with age,”

“We’ll most likely take her to a race in America like the Arlington Million (now run as the Mister D Stakes) and then we will come across here for the spring, where she may be more aimed at the Cox Plate.

“So, hopefully, those lovely people at Moonee Valley might send her an invitation.”

Horses from abroad now face strict checks before being permitted to compete in Australia, but Henderson disclosed it would not affect True Self plans.

“We’ve got no reason to change what we normally do. If we can’t get past the Racing Victoria regulations with her (True Self), we’d simply go to the Breeders Cup in America and she’d be a very good bet in that 2000-meter mares’ race,” he said.

“However, she’s a very sound mare and we have no reason to suggest that she won’t pass Racing Victoria’s regulations.”

This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2021.