Fields Of Athenry lays Challenge Stakes rivals low

The progressive, Aidan O’Brien-trained Fields Of Athenry proved a hugely impressive winner of the listed Challenge Stakes as continuous rain turned the ground yielding to soft in Leopardstown last night.

Runner-up in the Ulster Derby last time and having only his fourth run, the three-year-old Galileo colt made all under Seamus Heffernan and powered up the straight to beat Silwana (the other 7/4 joint-favourite) by ten lengths, with Drifting Mist third.

Heffernan was clearly impressed by the display, commenting: “He’s an improving horse and was good tonight. Inexperience caught him out the last day (in Down Royal), but Joseph said he was ready for today.