Teolane proves star quality
From the first crop of Teofilo, the 11/10 favourite coped admirably with the drop back to six furlongs (having won her maiden in great style over seven at Leopardstown), dictating the pace from her low draw and running on strongly up the hill to beat well-backed Princess Sinead by two and a half lengths.
Having won the race for the third time in four years, Bolger stated: “She could be anything. And the further she goes, the better she’ll be.
“The plan was to go for the Albany at Royal Ascot next week, but it might come a bit too soon. We’ll have to see how she comes out of today’s race first. If she misses Ascot, you mightn’t see her again until Moyglare time. And, in that case, Somasach would run in the Albany. If this filly travels, Somasach will run in the Queen Mary.”
The earlier Alfred Nobel Rochestown Stakes, a listed event for two-year-old colts, produced an even more impressive winner in British raider Lilbourne Lad, which dominated throughout under Richard Hughes and romped home a six lengths winner from the Jim Bolger-trained Snowflake Dancer.
Lilbourne Lad is trained by Richard Hannon, whose son Richard admitted: “That was a good performance, which surprised me a bit, because he doesn’t show a lot at home. I couldn’t be more pleased.
“He disappointed us last time in Newmarket, when a combination of inexperience and conceding a few pounds was probably his undoing. But he won well today. And we’ll have to think about Royal Ascot now.”
Kevin Prendergast and Declan McDonogh completed a double in the opening races, highlighted by the victory of Irish 1000 Guineas also-ran Rose Bonheur in the listed Owenstown Stud Stakes.
The daughter of Danehill Dancer, in the colours of Lady O’Reilly, travelled sweetly throughout before seeing off Blaze Brightly by two lengths, with Barack third.
Prendergast said: “She was only beaten six lengths in the Guineas. And I always thought seven furlongs would be her ideal trip. She won well today and will go for a Group 3 over this trip in the next few weeks - there are a couple of them coming up.”
The Prendergast double has been initiated when Browne Butterfly, blinkered for the first time and dropping in trip. swept past front-running Ballroom inside the final furlong to score emphatically.
The winning trainer explained, “She’s bred to stay a mile and a half but didn’t get home over that trip at Leopardstown. We decided to drop her back in trip and put blinkers on her. And it worked. She was rated 72 going into today’s race and will probably run in a handicap soon.”
Veteran midlands handler Cecil Ross has enjoyed a good run in recent weeks and was on the mark again when seven-year-old Six Of hearts defied top-weight in the www.thetote.com Community Raceday Handicap, getting home by a fast-diminishing short-head from Collingwood in a blanket-finish.
Six Of Hearts was another winner for apprentice-in-form Sam James, whose delight was tempered by a one-day ban picked up for careless riding following an incident early in the final furlong.
It was a day to remember for young Seams Cronin (16), from Churchtown, Co Cork, who registered his first win when guiding Jambalaya, trained by his boss David Wachman, to victory in the seven-furlong Paul Byrne Memorial Handicap.
Cronin, having only his third ride, produced the Holy Roman Emperor to get the better of front-running Independent Girl well inside the final furlong to break her duck by a half-length.
Wachman commented: “It’s nice to win with this filly. And it’s great for Seamus. He gave the filly a good rider. He has plenty of experience from pony-racing. He’s light and rides well. Hopefully, he’ll get plenty of opportunities.”
Johnny Murtagh, whose tactical expertise was displayed in last Friday’s Epsom Oaks, was again see to great effect on a frontrunner, when stealing the concluding fillies handicap on the Noel Meade-trained Leceile.
Murtagh poached an easy, clear lead and kept in enough in reserve to beat top-weight Penthesliea Eile by four and a half lengths, prompting trainer Meade to comment: “She got a fright when she made a bad mistake at Punchestown and finished distressed. So it was hard to fancy her today. She loves fast ground and I suppose Johnny got a bit of a jump on them. But she kept going. And she’ll probably run in another handicap at the Curragh on Derby weekend.”
