Heavens Gate swats Naas rivals aside

JOB DONE: Heavens Gate wins the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes in the hands of Ryan Moore. 

Odds-on favourite Heavens Gate proved best in the €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane 2-Y-0 Stakes, in deteriorating ground, in Naas.

The Churchill filly, rated 102 and dropping from Group company, made most of the running up the centre of the track, under Ryan Moore, and held the late effort of Fiery Lucy by a length and a quarter with British raider Li Ban third and top-weight Midnight Strike fourth.

The 4-6 favourite was giving Aidan O’Brien a second win in the Ballyhane — he won the inaugural running of the race with Chief Little Hawk in 2020. And she bagged a winner’s prize of €148,500.

O’Brien declared: “She’s a lovely filly, very straight-forward, kind and relaxed. She’s a fine, big, powerful filly and Ryan thinks we should be going up to seven furlongs with her.

 “She’s happy to make the running or take a lead and seems to handle all types of ground. So we have lots of options for her, including the Cheveley Park and Moyglare. 

O’Brien also confirmed that Whistlejacket, winner of the July Stakes in Newmarket last time, will lead his challenge for the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Earlier, the Paddy Twomey-trained Firebird (Billy Lee) justified 1-14 favouritism when coasting to an effortless win in the Taste Of Kildare Race.

“She won well in Cork and has only cantered since,” said Twomey. “This was an obvious race for her, another big part of her education. She’s ready to step into stakes company now and will probably come back here for the Ballyogan (Group 3, on August 25).”

The Michael O’Callaghan-trained top-weight Mehmar (Colin Keane) made all in the Fern Lane Handicap, prompting his trainer to comment: “He’s going the right way and Colin said it was very straightforward. I liked the way he put his head down and did enough.” 

On the mark in Galway during the week, Tom Mullins and Seamus Heffernan struck again when Super Exceed (10-1) got the better of favourite Eternal Reign by a neck in the one-mile fillies' maiden, Mullins commenting: “We always though a bit of her. She’s only learning and had the maestro on board — he had great experience with fillies and was impressed.” 

Trainer Tom McCourt, successful with Hero Of The Hour (James Ryan) in the six-furlong apprentice handicap, was denied a double when his Dynamic Force, also ridden by Ryan, failed by a half-length to Martin Hassett’s well-backed Secret Magician, another winner for apprentice Wayne Hassett, in the Dickie & Biddy White Memorial Handicap.

Appropriately, the Ballyhane Stud-bred Apercu (5-2 favourite) landed the concluding R C Bagot Handicap, digging deep for Billy Lee to defy top-weight of 10-2, with just a half-length to spare over runner-up Tachos.