Beauty completes Challenge hat-trick with minimum of fuss
The Dermot Weld trained mare swept past front-running Spinning Wings with a furlong and a half to race before drawing clear to win, eased down, by five and a half lengths from Drumfire.
Weld, the winner’s biggest fan, declared: “She’s a joy to train, one of the best mares I’ve trained or will train. She’s a superb racemare, and so consistent.”
Weld added: “I’ll have to review plans and discuss things with Eva Marie Haefner and Stan (Cosgrove). But the Yorkshire Oaks is a definite possibility as her next target. The Irish St. Leger could be on her agenda and, of course, she’ll be entered for the Melbourne Cup and we’ll see what weight she gets.”
Earlier, Together proved herself an exciting prospect when scoring a smooth success in the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Galileo filly tracked front-running stable-companion Gemstone until straightening up for home. Set alight by Johnny Murtagh she soon quickened into the lead and kept on well, despite appearing to idle in front, to beat the strong-finishing Laughing Lashes cosily by a length, with Kissable staying on for third.
O’Brien was not present but Murtagh, who had initiated a Ballydoyle double on Sehrwood Forest in the opening two-year-old maiden, stated: “She’s a good, solid filly and she’s going the right way. The strong pace suited her, because she settled well. She picked up well when I pressed the button and won well. She doesn’t do a lot in front and was value for more than the winning margin of a length.”
Earlier Murtagh had admitted; “I thought it was over a furlong down,” after uneasy favourite Sherwood Forest swooped late to deny Hasty Katie in the opening juvenile maiden.
Having made the running, Sherwood Forest was passed and readily brushed aside by the Bolger filly with a furlong and a half to race.
Two lengths clear and with the race apparently in the bag, Hasty Katie faltered in the last hundred yards, appearing reluctant to get the job done.
This opened the door for the Murtagh-ridden Sherwood Forest, which merely plugged on, getting up close home to score by three-quarters of a length, Murtagh subsequently commenting, “He just kept going.”
Trainer Bolger enjoyed better luck when debutante Priomhbhean, a daughter of Galileo, landed the following Foxrock Maiden at the expense of Mctaggart, drawing a quick quip from the winning trainer, “We had a moral double.”
The winner, which carries the Ennistown Stud colours, will now go handicapping, as her trainer explained: “We’ll see how the handicapper treats her before making plans. I’d hope for further improvement from her and she should stay ten furlongs without a problem.”
Thomond O’Mara nominated the Topaz Mile at Galway as the target for Castle Bar Sling after his narrow win in the valuable Paul Brady Stillorgan Handicap, Willie Supple’s mount foiling the flattering Camira on the nod.
Supple didn’t believe the outcome as he returned to the winner’s enclosure, commenting: “I was sure Davy (Moran) had won. My fellow must have put his nose down on the line.”
Castle Bar Sling is the first horse owned by Golden, County Tipperary-born, San Fransisco-based Bart Murphy and his trainer suggested: “The drop of rain helped and this was a nice pot. Galway is definitely the place to go now.”
Bay Knight continued Ken Condon’s rich vein of form in the Kilmacud Claiming Race, powering clear under Declan McDonogh to beat Big Bad Billy Bob by three lengths.
Condon commented: “He was entitled to do that after his run on Saturday. He jumped, relaxed and picked up well fro Declan. If he’s okay, he’ll run in the ‘Rockingham’ at the Curragh on Sunday. He’s not a five-furlong horse but, on easy ground, he should finish strongly.”
