Wannabe Better’s late run seals it
The 10/1 shot, winner of two listed races, finished well when switched to the outside and got up to grab a valuable Group 3 bracket by a half-length, to the delight of trainer Tommy Stack, who stated: ” She’s a well-bred filly and it’s great that she’s Group 3 winner. It’s lovely fast, but safe ground, which is what she needs. She’s a versatile filly and quickened up well.”
Winning rider Lordan added: “It didn’t happen for her the last day in the Curragh in bad ground, but I wasn’t hard on her. She loved tonight’s ground and, although she got a bit crowded down the inside, picked up really well when I switched her.”
Beaten more than twelve lengths by Wednesday’s Queen Mary winner Anthem Alexander when a well-beaten favourite on his recent debut in Tipperary, Battle Of Marathon came from off the pace to register an emphatic win over favourite I Will Excel in the opening two-year-old maiden.
Ridden by Colm O’Donoghue, he headed front-running stable-companion Rule The Waves at the furlong-pole before drawing clear to triumph by two and three-quarter lengths, prompting his rider to comment: “He did it really well. The step-up to six furlongs really helped. He’s still a baby and should improve again when he goes up further in trip.”
The Form Book was also turned on its head in the one-mile fillies maiden when the John Oxx-trained Royal Memory sprang a 16/1 shock under McDonogh, reversing her debut form with three of her five rivals, including odds-on favourite Comtesse, which finished a close third,
McDonogh commented: “She stepped forward a good bit from her first run. The slow pace helped her — she’s an Invincible Spirit and has a good turn of foot. With a bit of luck, she’ll keep improving.”
The Michael Halford-trained Pit Stop, strongly ridden by Shane Foley, pipped Beyond Brilliance (Ana O’Brien) by a short-head in the Leopardstown Sunmer Music And Racing Festival Handicap, a timely boost for both trainer and rider ahead of Toscanini’s Chesham Stakes run in Royal Ascot tomorrow.
Halford conceded: “It was only his third run and his second time on grass. He’s a lovely, big, scopey horse. Things didn’t go according to plan, and they got racing a bit early, but he did well to win. He’s an improving horse and will stick to handicapping for the moment but might be capable of stepping-up later on.”
No match for Artful Artist over course and distance last time, Naoise (Kevin Manning) notched his third success for Jim Bolger when getting the better of joint-favourites Sretlaw and Have A Nice Day in the ‘Heathers; Handicap.
“He’s versatile and will stay further. He’ll go to Gowran on Sunday, with a 5lb. penalty,” explained Bolger. “But his main target is the Newmarket July Sales.”
Derek O’Connor’s tactical expertise was evident in the finale, the Follow Leopardstown On Facebook (Amateur) Maiden as he brought the versatile nine-year-old Saint Gervais with a well-timed challenge to beat Draco and Silverpockets.
Saint Gervais is trained by John Kiely, who explained: “He got jarred up from his fall in Punchestown and needed a bit of time. We’ll see how he is in the morning and if there’s a bit of cut in the ground, he’ll have a summer campaign. We’ll mix it with him.”
