Moody battles to Gowran victory with Cork return on horizon
Moody and Billy Lee (near) win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Vintage Tipple Stakes (Listed) from Snapretend (far). Pic: Healy Racing
A return trip to Cork in the middle of next month is very much on the cards for the Paddy Twomey-trained Moody who gamely landed the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Vintage Tipple Stakes at Gowran Park last evening.
Formerly trained for Godolphin in France by André Fabre, the four-year-old now runs in the colours of owner Mel Sutcliffe and she made it two wins from as many starts for her new connections with a battling success under the season’s leading jockey, Billy Lee.
Just as she had done when taking the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Noblesse Stakes at Cork on her Irish debut, Moody, a 9/4 chance, again got the better of the Joseph O'Brien-trained 15/8 favourite Snapretend by half a length, a fair performance giving away 3lbs on this occasion.
Twomey said: “She just did enough there and I’d say a mile and six is probably the limit and she’d be more comfortable at a mile and a half. I’d say the Munster Oaks on June 14 will be next for her.”
Twomey and Lee then shared their fifth winner together in three days as the Robert Moran and Ballylinch Stud-owned 5/1 chance Dark Lucinda raced to a cosy three success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
The €200,000 Gowran Classic on June 1 is next for the three-year-old who gave Lee his 17th success of the season when beating her fellow debutante Mathoura by three and a half lengths.
Champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle is making up for lost time after his injury -delayed start to the season and he landed his second double since Sunday, again riding two winners for Joseph O'Brien.
They combined to land the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes with the 7/2 chance Sindria for the Sights On Gold Three Partnership.
A handicap winner at Gowran Park on her previous start, she took the step up in class in her stride and gave O’Brien a 1-2 in the race when accounting for the Joey Sheridan-ridden Lemsairbat by two and a quarter lengths as the front-running 8/11 favourite Faiyum faded into fourth place.
The winning trainer said: “She won nicely here last time and I thought she did well today, she found the line very well and is a progressive filly. I’m delighted with Lemsairbat’s run too, she a filly that’s got a whole bunch of black type.”
Earlier on the card, O’Brien and Browne McMonagle had won the Thomastown Maiden with the 3/1 shot Satoyama.
Racing began with success for the Johnny Murtagh-trained Shaws Bay in the Societies Welcome At Gowran Park Maiden with Ben Coen making all the running on the 100/30 chance and holding Michael O'Callaghan’s fast-finisher Bamako Beach by a neck.
Orla Tynan rode her third winner of the season from just seven rides when partnering the Andy Slattery-trained Aurora Mist in the Follow Us On Instagram Apprentice Handicap.
In the familiar Men Of Forty Eight Syndicate silks, the 15/2 chance came out best in a three-way photograph to score by half a length and a nose from 5/4 favourite Believe Believe, another trained by Michael O'Callaghan, and the 14/1 chance Tenacious.
The only winning favourite of the session was Denis Hogan’s 4/6 shot Majestic King who was eased down by Joey Sheridan in the closing stages as he took the concluding eight-furlong handicap by three and a half lengths for the Chomping At The Bit Syndicate.
