Nothing Sceptical about Hogan’s rising star
Horse Racing in Ireland made its return on Monday and Denis Hogan’s rising star Sceptical was the star of the show as the four-year-old cruised to a three-length triumph in the Listed Anglesey Lodge Equine Woodlands Stakes, in the hands of seven-pound claimer Joey Sheridan.
A £2,800 purchase from Godolphin by owner James McAuley at Goffs UK in Doncaster just last August when still unraced, Sceptical has now landed four wins on the spin and banished any doubts about whether he could transfer his all-weather form to the turf in scintillating fashion.
Already rated the best sprinter in Ireland after just five runs prior to this procession, Hogan’s charge will now be aimed at Royal Ascot where he will go for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday 20th June.
“That was very impressive but we were expecting him to win” said Denis Hogan.
“We had to win if we were thinking of going to Ascot. He’s exciting. He’s by far the best horse we’ve ever had.
“When you think of it, he had only been winning a maiden and handicaps in Dundalk in the winter, you’d wonder how strong it was. But (it was) the way he’d done it, and you see what he could do at home.
“He worked in Charlie Swan’s gallop on Tuesday and I’ve seen a lot of horses come up there over the last 10 or 15 years and I’ve never seen anything like this. He powered the whole way up and (in) a frightening time as well.
“We probably will enter in both the King’s Stand and the Diamond Jubilee later in the week. He has an entry in the Greenland’s as well back on Derby weekend so there’s plenty of options.
“James mentioned (the double) to me before the race, if he earned his entry fee at Naas he doesn’t mind spending it, so I’d say you’ll see him entered in both.”