Take Heart set for Curragh return on Irish Champions Weekend

Recent Goodwood winner ran well as favourite in last year’s Northfields Handicap.

Johnny Murtagh’s Take Heart will have one more roll of the dice at handicap level this season.

The four-year-old was fifth of 22 behind Crystal Black when favourite for the Northfields Handicap at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend last season and will target the same race again next month.

A wide draw made the grey’s task difficult in the John Smith’s Cup at York earlier in the summer but he had more luck when heading next to Goodwood.

Contesting the Chesterfield Cup at 7-1, he was triumphant by a neck from Enfjaar under Ben Coen and will now turn his attentions to the Curragh again to round off his campaign.

“We’ve always had a high opinion of him but he just hasn’t had a lot of luck earlier in the year,” said Barry Irwin, CEO of co-owners Team Valor International.

“We’re going to run him back one more time this year and that will be during Irish Champions Weekend in a valuable handicap. He ran in it last year and did OK but seems to have improved a lot and is getting stronger.

“We raced his dam and she won over 11 furlongs and even though this horse is by Dark Angel, he seems to have plenty of stamina.”

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