Black type bonus as Hasanka finally gets her head in front
Oxx, who avoided the Festival meeting five weeks ago because of traffic concerns, was present to see the previously luckless Hasanka earn a valuable listed bracket in the featured Ardilaun House Hotel Oyster Stakes, prompting the trainer to comment: “Any time you have two runners and they both win, you must be very happy.”
After Michael Kinane sent Hasanka past front-running Valain with less than three furlongs to race before holding on bravely to beat Ezima by a head, Oxx added: “Thank God she got her head in front at last after a few near misses. She’s a good, tough and honest filly and that ground is as fast as she’d like it.”
“This has been a lucky race for me over the years. I’m delighted that it changed this filly’s luck.
“A mile and a half is her minimum trip and, now that she has earned black type, we might let her off for the season.”
“She needs to strengthen up. I think she’ll b kept in training. There’s a good chance she could improve a good bit from three to four.”
Odds-on favourite Red Moloney, clearly struggling as they ran into the dip with more than three furlongs to race, finished a distant third, a run which represented an eleven lengths turn-around with the winner on recent Curragh form. Jockey Declan McDonogh reported that the favourite “didn’t feel right” although trainer Kevin Prendergast said that the horse seemed fine after the race.
Earlier, Niall McCullagh was seen at his strongest when getting Taralay home to win the Tom Hogan Lexus Handicap at the expense of pace-forcing Diamond Shower.
Oxx explained: “She ran on slow ground over the Derby weekend and I decided not to run her in those conditions again.
“I though I’d wait a couple of weeks for better ground and ended up waiting over two months. I’ll look for another handicap for her, while the fast ground lasts, and she could run again at the Curragh on Sunday.”
The Dermot Weld-trained Angel Dreamer was sent off 4/6 favourite for the opening two-year-old fillies maiden but, having made the running under Pat Smullen, she had no answer to the late challenge of well-backed second favourite Reyaada.
Kevin Prendergast, who trains the Daylami filly for Hamdan Al Maktoum, reported: “Her dam (Walayef) was a good filly and this filly ran well first time at Leopardstown. She wasn’t tuned for that and has come on a good bit since and got more professional.”
“Declan said that when she met the rising ground, she picked up well and ran to the line. This run will bring her on again. I’ll look for a listed race for her.”
McDonogh was riding his 59th winner of the domestic season while former champion Pat Smullen re-established his fourteen winner advantage over the current champion in the title race when Hampshire repeated a course and distance win at the Festival in the Trappers Inn Handicap.
Hampshire made all and shook off the attentions of Glorificamus turning for home to record an emphatic win. Winning trainer Pat Fahy, on the mark with My Valley on Sunday, will see how the handicapper reacts to this win before making plans for the four-year-old which is owned by the Yorkies Partnership.
Apprentice Davy Moran notched his 23rd win of the season when making virtually all the running on Lily Whitford to keep Invincible Joe at bay in the Eventus 2-Y-0 Auction Race.
Lily Whitford is trained by Liam Roche, who commented: “She’s a tough filly and got a smashing ride from Davy. He got onto the rail and kept her going well. I was worried about the ground, because she needs some cut. But that’s nice, safe ground. She’ll probably head for a nursery now.”
Danny Grant seized the initiative approaching the straight on Passcini in the Electronic Retail Security Handicap and drove Caroline Huntchinson’s filly clear to beat Hugs ‘N Kisses convincingly.
“She’s a big filly and will be nice next year,” said Hutchinson. “We won’t be rushing her, but Listowel (next week) is a possibility.”
