Floresta leaves form behind to win in fine style at Fairyhouse

Floresta and Ben Coen win for trainer Johnny Murtagh. Pic: Healy Racing

Floresta left the form of her seasonal return well behind to win the Group 3 Darley Irish EBF Stanerra Stakes at Fairyhouse on Wednesday.

Last of 10 runners in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Vintage Tipple Stakes at Gowran Park in early May, the Johnny Murtagh-trained four-year-old made a return to the winners’ enclosure when coming from off the pace under Ben Coen to win in fine style.

Asserting well inside the final furlong, she beat last year’s winner Goodie Two Shoes, the subsequent Melbourne Cup runner-up, by a length and a half for owners/breeders Newtown Anner Stud Farm.

Murtagh said: “I couldn’t explain what happened to her (at Gowran Park). I went there, I thought she was in great form and she just ran no race. Ben said he was gone three (furlongs) out, she was very disappointing.

“Today we put the cheekpieces on just to maybe help her, just to do something different with her because she was coming here in such good form. The real Floresta showed up today and that’s what she loves doing.

“I’d love to win a Group 2 with her next and she has a few nice entries so we’ll sit down with the team and see what they’d like to do next.” 

Murtagh and Coen were winners again as Contrary To Law, owned and bred by Ballygallon Stud, scored a last-gasp victory in the concluding Racing Again September 21st Handicap.

On his handicap debut, the gambled-on 13/8 favourite got up on the line to deny 6/1 chance Rappell, ridden by Joey Sheridan for trainer Paul Flynn, by a shorthead.

Colin Keane drew level on 42 winners with Billy Lee in the jockeys’ title race when partnering a winner each for trainers Ger Lyons, Willie Mullins and Michael O'Callaghan.

He took the six-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden on the Lyons-trained Livenka, a strong 5/6 favourite who made all the running to beat Joseph O'Brien’s Star Of State by a length and a half having been eased inside the final 50 yards.

Her success puts her in line for a tilt at the €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas at the beginning of August, a race Lyons has won twice in the past.

Lyons commented: “I would say we’ll go the Ballyhane route before we start heading for black-type. She’s from a very good family that has been very good to me and the sky’s the limit with her.”

Successful in the Grade 2 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in late 2024, Willie Mullins’ Tounsivator gained a second course win when battling to a narrow success in the Fairyhouse Winter Festival Rated Race.

Keane was at his brilliant best in getting the well-supported 5/2 favourite home by a shorthead from the rallying Charles O'Brien-trained Pavilion End in the colours of the Temple Bloodstock Tounsivator Syndicate.

The winner is one of a number from the race likely to be in action at the upcoming Galway Festival, where he finished fourth in the Guinness Galway Hurdle last year. That race, and the opening night’s Connacht Hotel Amateur Riders Handicap, are likely targets.

The 4/11 favourite Bamako Beach completed Keane’s treble when landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for trainer Michael O'Callaghan. 

Soon in front, the 102-rated three-year-old, seventh in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas, was pushed out to score by a length and a half from Johnny Murtagh’s Sindagan. The former champion jockey was adding to a double at Tramore on Tuesday.

Joseph O'Brien and Joey Sheridan had earlier shared two winners, the pair taking the Dino Family Day Optional Claiming Race with the 11/8 favourite Pass The Buck, owned by the trainer’s mother Annemarie, which raced to a six-length victory over Michael Mulvany’s 15/2 shot Borora Aura.

At odds of 3/1, the Tropical Racing-owned Nail House took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden to completed the O’Brien/Sheridan double. 

It was far tighter at the line as he scored by half a length from the 100/1 chance Banks Of The Boyne, another trained by Mulvany.

Wayne Lordan also got in on the winning act as he took the Winter Festival Early Bird Tickets Handicap on the Michael Grassick-trained Glory To Be. 

The 3/1 chance, owned by the Back Nine Bandits Partnership, led close to the finish to beat Mark Fahey’s 5/2 favourite I Bid You Ajou by three-parts of a length.