Bucanero Fuerte digs deep for Railway rewards

PA Sport Reporters
July 2, 2023 1:57 pm

Murray runner takes Group Two gold in Curragh thriller.

Adrian Murray bagged himself another big juvenile prize as Bucanero Fuerte battled back to edge out Unquestionable in the GAIN Railway Stakes at the Curragh.

Murray sprang an almighty surprise at Royal Ascot when Valiant Force won the Norfolk Stakes at 150-1.

Bucanero Fuerte (100-30) had also run at Royal Ascot, and with real credit when third in the Coventry Stakes, but that was only 12 days ago and there was a worry this Group Two was coming too soon.

He looked set to come off second best when pulling clear with Aidan O’Brien’s Unquestionable.

What a start to Irish Derby Day! Bucanero Fuerte just edges out Unquestionable at the line. @Rossaryan1 taking the win for @AMurrayRacing pic.twitter.com/0Z3kzEwT7j
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) July 2, 2023

To his immense credit, though, the Wootton Bassett colt would not accept defeat and got himself in front right on the line to win by a short head.

The victory was a second in three years for Rossa Ryan, who also took the prize on David Loughnane’s Go Bears Go in 2021.

Murray said: “He’s a tough horse. We took a chance running him today quick after Ascot and he didn’t let us down.

“Robson (Aguiar, assistant trainer) said he was on fire during the week and we had no other option only to go for it.

“He’s entered in the Phoenix Stakes and he could go to France, we are not sure yet.

“We’ll give him a bit of a break now. He’s a big backward horse and we are not going to rush him. He’s had two quick runs.

“We’ll definitely step him up in trip as that’s what won it for him today. We made plenty of use of him as we knew he would see it out.

Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival – Day Three – Curragh Racecourse — Bucanero Fuerte (right) followed up his Ascot run in style (Brian Lawless/PA)

“He likes a bit of dig in the ground and if anything it was a bit quick for him today.”

Aguiar added: “We train in Mullingar and I joined Adrian about five years ago. This horse has plenty of pace and ran well in Ascot. He won over six today and can go further.

“We paid EURO 165,000 for him (as a yearling at Arqana) which I think is cheap as he’s by Wootton Bassett, who is a great sire, and the mare has produced black type (Group One winner Wooded).”