Superb return from homebred Buckaroo to win second Listed race

Qatar Racing’s Buckaroo, born and raised at Tweenhills, made an astonishing return to the track on Wednesday when winning his second Listed race from last year’s Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs. Buckaroo had met with a serious setback after running in the Irish 2000 Guineas last May and showed superb determination to come out on top after 11 months off.

Buckaroo showed improved form to make a winning reappearance in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Heritage Stakes over 1m at Leopardstown, beating Homeless Songs by a neck after a fantastic battle.

It was both an outstanding training performance from Joseph O’Brien and a superb ride from Oisin Murphy, who had been at Leopardstown on Sunday, Lingfield on Monday and Southwell on Tuesday, where he rode two winners including our own Zoustar colt Zoology.

Buckaroo tracked the pace set by French import Mea Domina and edged past that rival over 1f out. He had Homeless Songs on his quarters at that point and she got level with him 100yds from the line. Buckaroo dug deep to emerge victorious by a neck, with a further 3¼ lengths back to Listed winner Mea Donina.

Buckaroo had won a Listed race last May by 4 lengths and lined up as second favourite behind winner Native Trail in the Irish 2000 Guineas 19 days later. After travelling through that classic as well as any, he disappointed but became sick in the few months after and it’s been a long road back. He clearly has an iron consititution. 

Buckaroo could now head to the Gr.1 Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp on May 29 or the Gr.1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on May 28.

He’s out of the Galileo mare Roheryn, who won a 1m4f Listed race for Qatar Racing in 2014. 12yo Roheryn has also produced winner Kihavah and Thousand Oaks, unraced 3yo Middle Earth with John and Thady Gosden, a 2yo filly by Siyouni with Johnny Murtagh and a yearling colt by Kameko.