Fiesolana lands second Group 3 prize
Ridden by Billy Lee, the Willie McCreery-trained four-year-old edged ahead early in the straight, travelling well, and kept on strongly to hold the favourite (probably running over an inadequate trip) by a head, with Snow Queen a never threatening third..
A French import, Fiesolanahas now won over six furlongs, seven furlongs and a mile from four starts since joining McCreery, who declared: “She’s just a no nonsense mare. That was another step-up, on ground that she wouldn’t over-like.
“I told Billy not to rush her and he gave her a lovely ride. She’s so sharp — she jumps and travels. Billy said she was doing nothing in front, but picked up again when the other filly came at her. She was in Italy as a two-year-old and France as a three-year-old. Now she’s back home, where she was sold in Goresbridge.”
Fiesolana’s win is particularly notable when we realise that she was conceding 3lb. (a Group 3 penalty) to the runner-up which, prior to the race, was rated 4lb. superior.
Dermot Weld, who had feared that Along Came Casey might be vulnerable over seven furlongs, had earlier saddled his first two-year-old winner of the season when Simple Love, although friendless in the market, got the better of front-running Pillow in the opening median auction maiden.
The Moyglare-owned daughter of Proud Citizen, which was sent off at 14/1, triumphed by a length and a quarter and her trainer said: “That was very pleasing, She’s a lovely filly and has done a few nice pieces of work, including her first on grass. She’s laid-back and quite and should improve from the experience. The next challenge is to get black type for her.”
The Ger Lyons-trained Lightnin Hopkins swooped late under apprentice Colin Keane to foil valiant front-runner Bronte in the seven-furlong Family Day Sunday 14th July Handicap.
The Sean Jones-owned Kodiac gelding hit the front close home to triumph by a half-length with the fast-finishing Quinine a similar distance away third. Winning trainer Lyons said: “He’s a gorgeous looking horse and never had his ground last year. The horses are running well and this fellow needed Colin’s 5lb. claim. He’s a good young lad, riding well.”
A trip to Galway before a crack at the first three-year-old hurdle of the season at Roscommon on August 6 is planned for Sharjah following his last-to-first win under Declan McDonogh in the Clonee Handicap.
Winning trainer Andy Slattery commented: “He came from a long way back in the Curragh the last day, in what was a premier handicap in everything but name. He was some price this morning!”
He added: “Declan says Galway will suit him, so we’ll go there. But the main aim is the first three-year-old hurdle of the season in Roscommon. He jumps well and has already run in a schooling hurdle around Tipperary.”
Three Bells, subject of a significant gamble on his penultimate start in Limerick, justified 2/1 favouritism in the La Bucca Restaurants Handicap.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Moss Vale gelding is trained locally by Pat Downey, who stated: “Limerick was a disaster. He likes it soft and I was worried about that lively ground. He was a weak horse last year, but Joseph told us to persevere with him. He should keep improving. We might get another day out of him and I’d say he could be heading for Galway.”
Champion-jockey O’Brien went on to complete a double on 11/8 favourite Great Explorer in the finale the Blanchardstown Maiden. Third on his seasonal debut at Navan, the Galileo colt made most of the running and responded to O’Brien’s strong handling, toughing it out to keep market rival Arch Pearl at bay by a half-length, before the winning rider said: “He’s still very green and, hopefully he’ll improve with racing.”
Trainer Andy Oliver described Gary Carroll’s handling of Jazz Girl, an all-the-way winner of the New Children’s Playground Rated race as “a lovely, canny ride” before explaining: “The key to her this year is the ground.”
