Ado McGuinness, the retained trainer of the Dooley Thoroughbreds syndicate that is based on the island, is no stranger to success.
He’s a Group 2 winning trainer with a catalogue of Listed victories to his name as well, and in A Case of You, there’s a chance he may have unearthed a horse that can elevate his career to the next level.
The horse is already a dual Group 1 champion and has amassed prize money in the region of £1 million, so the hope for McGuinness is that he can enjoy a stellar end to the campaign after a disappointing effort at Royal Ascot.
A Case of You will feature prominently in the horse betting odds for the Flying Five, part of the Irish Champions Weekend at Curragh in September – a track at which the four-year-old has already won previously.
And those making horse racing tips and predictions wouldn’t have to look too far ahead if they were to predict the Gary Devlin-owned horse’s next outing after that – if he wins the Flying Five, A Case of You will be invited to compete in the Breeder’s Cup as part of the ‘Win and You’re In’ programme.
🏆Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (G1)
1000 m / 350.000 EUR / for 2yo+
🇨🇵LongchampA CASE OF YOU (IRE)
(3c Hot Streak – Karjera, by Key Of Luck)
J : R. Whelan
T :A. Mc Guinness
O :Gary Devlin
B : Limestone and Tara Studs
🥈Air De Valse
🥉Glass Slippers pic.twitter.com/vJD1g625Od— 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 (@WorldRacing1) October 3, 2021
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So it’s fair to say that McGuinness has his hands full. When not training the Isle of Wight syndicate’s horses, which include Saltonstall, Politicise and Current Option, the Irishman is on duty for several other owners with Group winners such as Pretreville and Bowerman.
Victory at The Curragh will be the perfect way for the busy trainer to sign off on another successful campaign at the helm.
Making a Strong Case
For now, at least, there’s no doubt that the star of the show for McGuinness is A Case of You.
Named after a Joni Mitchell song, the four-year-old has been hitting the right notes since his first start on the track two years ago. A win at Down Royal was followed by a particularly eye-catching triumph at the Curragh in the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes, where he downed the likes of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Preamble.
Big things were expected in his three-year-old season, and for the most part, A Case of You did not disappoint. In amongst some below-par efforts were victories in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp and the Lacken Stakes at Naas, as well as a runner’s up finish in the Flying Five as a 33/1 outsider.
🗣️ @adomcguinness1 – “I just feel the six will be a better race for him, he’s a horse that likes to warm into a race and it will be a nicer race for him, I hope.”
The A Case Of You team opting for Platinum Jubilee bid over King’s Stand at Royal @Ascot…
— Sky Sports Racing (@SkySportsRacing) June 9, 2022
A busy 2022 has also brought wins at Dundalk and in a Group 1 sprint over in the UAE, and the only blot on his copybook was a strangely poor effort in the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot – for which McGuinness believes there were mitigating circumstances. “He just wasn’t at the races, he wasn’t happy and there was clearly something amiss,” the trainer confirmed. “He gave a couple of coughs after as well.
“He’s also been to Ascot twice and disappointed twice. There might be something in that.”
Royal woes aside, there is still time for A Case of You to sign off the campaign on a high in the autumn, and if he can it will mark another stellar season for McGuinness and his team on the flat.
