Sam Curling is confident that Angels Dawn, Cheltenham Festival heroine, will come into her own and triumph in the Thyestes Chase – Racing Post

The nine-year-old horse, Angels Dawn, and rider Pa King, achieved their first Cheltenham Festival success by narrowly beating Stumptown in the 3m2f amateur riders’ handicap last season. They began this campaign with two hurdle races at Clonmel and Navan, which satisfied trainer Curling. Curling believes that Angels Dawn will excel in the upcoming €100,000 contest at Gowran Park next Thursday, where she has been installed as the 7-1 second favorite. He explains that her performances over hurdles were good, particularly considering the tough ground at Navan. However, he believes that Angels Dawn’s true potential lies in her ability to race over fences, and he expects her to improve significantly as the spring season progresses. Although Angels Dawn has already had seven runs over fences, Curling is hopeful that there is more to come from her. While she tends to not win by large margins, he remains optimistic that she will continue to step up her performance.
Angels Dawn made notable progress over fences last season, resulting in a 20lb increase in her ratings to a mark of 138. Curling believes that the Gowran Park track will suit her well, as she showed promising performance there during a hot beginners’ chase won by Classic Getaway in November 2022. The anticipated soft ground at Gowran will also be favorable for Angels Dawn. Curling confirms that regular rider Philip Enright, a two-time Thyestes winner, will be riding her again. He expresses his excitement to have a runner in the Thyestes, considering it a significant race on the calendar, and hopes that Angels Dawn will have a fighting chance. Curling reveals that this race has been the target for Angels Dawn since the end of last season, even though she was not able to participate last year due to not getting in.
The race has attracted a strong field of entries, including two previous winners, Coko Beach trained by Gordon Elliott and Longhouse Poet trained by Martin Brassil. Coko Beach won the 2021 edition of the race and has since had success in the lucrative Troytown handicap at Navan in November. Additionally, Any Second Now, who has placed in the Grand National twice, is also in contention for trainer Ted Walsh. Trainer Willie Mullins has entered five horses, including 6-1 favorite James Du Berlais.