‘Very appropriate’ success for Voleuse De Coeurs
Confidently ridden by Pat Smullen, last year’s Irish Cesarewitch winner beat Missunited emphatically by two lengths, with favourite El Salvador (which had beaten the winner in the Martin Molony at Limerick last month) a well-beaten third.
“It’s a race I’ve wanted to win and I though she would win,” declared Weld afterwards. “She showed last year that she’s very good over staying distances. She’s progressive, but I’ll be in no hurry with her.
“She’s in the Ascot Gold Cup, but it will come too soon. She will run in the Curragh Cup and has the Irish St. Leger as her long-term target. She’ll always want a little ease in the ground and I must commend Navan for the state of the track today and their efforts to encourage so many people, particularly children, to come here today.”
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Stubbs, third to Saburo on his debut at the Curragh back in March, impressed when justifying 4/5 favouritism in the Requinto 2-Y-0 Maiden, the Danehill Dancer colt sprinting clear to triumph by four and a quarter lengths.
Winning rider Joseph O’Brien was clearly impressed: “He improved well from his first run. He travelled and quickened up well. He’s bred to want a bit further and should be nice over a trip next year.”
The O’Briens completed a double when Plinth (5/4 favourite) reversed last week’s Leopardstown form with Mourani in the Excelebration Maiden.
Later, John Oxx enjoyed a welcome success when the Declan McDonogh-ridden Stepwise, backed into 8/13 favouritism, proved a facile winner of the Pour Moi Maiden. “He’s a nice, good-looking colt and has been working nicely,” said Oxx. “He wants better ground and, hopefully he’ll go on to better things. He might stay a mile and a quarter on better ground.”
Willie McCreery is enjoying a tremendous run and was on the mark again when recent Curragh winner Valbucca and apprentice Shane Kelly captured the fillies handicap at the expense of Opera Gloves. “They went a right clip and Shane gave her a very good ride,” said McCreery, who hopes to “sneak” some black type for the Val Royal filly later in the season.
“She travelled well, picked-up and went to the line well. She was entitled to win,” commented Wayne Lordan after partnering the 95-rated True Verdict to a convincing win in the opening Come Racing On June 8th Maiden.
A daughter of Danehill Dancer, True Verdict’s two-year-old form included a close second to Quipco 1,000 Guineas winner Sky Lantern at Naas last June. She is trained by David Wachman and holds engagements in the Ballyogan Stakes and Ballycorus Stakes, both Group 3 events, at Leopardstown on June 13.
In the sprint handicaps, the Jimmy Coogan-trained Theyturnedmedown (Leigh Roche) made all to beat top-weight Six Of Hearts by a half-length in the navanracecourse.ie Handicap, earning a crack at the six-furlong Texacloth Handicap at the Curragh next Sunday.
The Charlie Swan-trained Bainne, ridden by apprentice Joe Doyle, belatedly got off the mark when holding the fast-finishing favourite Peggy’s Leg by a half-length in the Dogs For Disabled June 8th Handicap.
