Yosemite Valley delivers on early promise with Gladness success

Alan Magee
April 21, 2024 3:57 pm

Four-year-old has always been well regarded by connections.

Donnacha O’Brien’s Yosemite Valley battled hard to take the Lester Piggott Gladness Stakes at the Curragh.

The colt is well versed when it comes to racing at the track, finishing second to Little Big Bear in the Anglesey Stakes as a juvenile and was having his fifth outing there from just seven in all.

He started this season off at Cork in Listed company, finishing second but looked a different proposition this time.

On returning to the Curragh the four-year-old was a 3-1 chance upped to seven furlongs and was a comfortable winner under Gavin Ryan when crossing the line two and three-quarter lengths ahead of 7-4 favourite Jumbly.

Too good! 👊
The Donnacha O’Brien-trained Yosemite Valley was by no means the best treated in the Listed Gladness Stakes but he’s shown near career-best form to land the feature in quite taking style.

There could easily be more to come from this son of Shamardal.@curraghrace pic.twitter.com/RsJAMDi16I
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 21, 2024

“It was a good performance. I always thought he was a proper horse but he was unlucky a few times,” said O’Brien.

“He ran well in Cork the last day and the step up to seven seemed to suit him. It’s nice to get a stakes win into him.

“He could get away with a stiff six, but he travelled so well there today and all the big seven-furlong races will be open to him.”

Of future plans the trainer added: “There is the Maurice de Gheest over six and a half in France. Whether he’s up to that level I don’t know but I’d like to give him a shot at it to see.

“The Greenlands is here in about a month but that is back to six. A stiff six could be an option or we might give him a little break and aim for seven furlongs in France.”