Tally-Ho graduate White Birch turned in a sparkling performance to land the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday. The brilliant grey was always travelling well in the hands of Colin Keane and swooped past Auguste Rodin to win by three lengths with another Tally-Ho graduate Crypto Force running a stormer back in third.
White Birch was part of our draft at Book 2 of the 2021 Tattersalls October Sale when unsold at 48,000gns. Turned over to John Joseph Murphy, the son of Ulysses won his second start by a wide margin at Dundalk as a two-year-old and went on to follow up in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes following his sale to Mrs C C Regalado-Gonzalez. He also ran an excellent race when third behind Auguste Rodin in the Derby.
However, he has really come of age this season with Sunday's success being his third consecutive win of the year following those in the Alleged and Mooresbridge Stakes.
"It's very satisfying," said jockey Colin Keane. "He's done nothing but improve from run to run - he's matured a lot from three to four.
"I thought Auguste Rodin ran a very good race but our lad showed his class in what was a very good renewal of the race. We rode forward to some extent, so we were happy from flagfall, and when we turned in, we had the luxury of coming out in our own time. We were able to ease up to Ryan [on Auguste Rodin] and then he quickened clear. If he keeps going the way he is, the sky is the limit for him."
Crypto Force, meanwhile, was part of our draft in the 2022 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale when sold to Michael O'Callaghan. The son of Time Test was a high-class two-year-old for Amo Racing, when his victories included the Beresford Stakes. He missed all of last year but Sunday's run, in which he closed well from the back of the field to take third, was another major step back in the right direction.
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