Believed repays the faith with Group 3 win at Cork
Believed and Ben Coen win for owners Qatar Racing Limited and trainer Johnny Murtagh from Amelia Earhart at Cork. Pic: Healy Racing
Believed came out on top in the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes, the feature race at Cork on Friday.
It was a deserved success for the Johnny Murtagh-trained Frankel filly who ran a cracker to finish a close third in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot before occupying the same position in a listed contest at Gowran Park last time out.
The 9-4 favourite wouldn’t be denied this time, scoring by half a length from Amelia Earhart with Caught U Sleeping a further length and a half back in third.
“I really fancied her today,” winning jockey Ben Coen said. “I thought she ran really well considering how the race set up the last day and she came out of that race really well.
“We took the hood off her today, she's a filly that took a bit of settling early on in the year but she's getting the hang of racing now and I think she'll be a nice filly next year.”
A saddle mix-up involving the two Joseph O’Brien-trained runners delayed the start of the listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Firville Stakes but the pre-race drama didn’t faze Alwaysanangel who got the better of Madam Secretary by a length and three quarters with 5-4 favourite Maire Rua back in third.
Victorious on debut at Fairyhouse, the Harry Angel filly came here on the back of a fine run when a close third in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge at Newmarket and produced a slick performance in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle.
O’Brien representative Kevin Blake said: “She was good there, she obviously has plenty of pace, they went really quick and she was in her comfort zone when plenty of them weren’t. She quickened up well and only did enough when she hit the front.”
The NFP Irish EBF Platinum Stakes, the other listed contest on the card, was won by 5-2 favourite Suzie Songs, who built on last month’s Naas victory in good style under Colin Keane.
“Suzie Songs has been a project,” winning trainer Ger Lyons said of the Starspangledbanner filly, a Group 3 winner last season. “Last year, her only bad race was in the Moyglare but she was running away and doing everything too quick. She’s doing things right now but I think the ground is important for her.”
Henry de Bromhead won both the first and the last races on the card, his double initiated by Walk On Harry, owned by Tottenham and Scotland defender Andy Robertson, who came from off the pace to reel in 11-8 favourite and long-time leader Southern Boulevard in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
The Earthlight colt came here on the back on an encouraging third over course and distance last month and the 11-2 shot showed a good turn of foot to land the spoils by a length and a quarter.
“We learnt a lot about him the last day, I was probably a little bit too forceful on him and we decided to try and take a lead and it worked out lovely, it was like a bit of work to him,” winning jockey Ronan Whelan said.
“He’s stepped forward from every run so it’s nice to tick the maiden off with him and he has plenty of options going forward. You’d like to think he’s only going to keep on progressing.”
Starflow completed the De Bromhead double when getting the better of 11-8 favourite Response Finale in the Fitzgerald Construction Building "A" Rated Homes Handicap.
The 25-1 outsider was ridden to victory by Conor Cusack.
Ballydoyle filly Garden Party justified 6-5 favouritism when getting the better of Zadawa in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, three quarters of a length separating the pair at the line.
Chris Armstrong, representing Aidan O’Brien said: “She had two lovely runs last year in maidens but she just took a little bit of time coming to hand but she’s done well physically and mentally over the past six weeks. She was just ready to start coming here so you’d think that there’ll be plenty of improvement to come from her.”
Amerilis ran out an impressive winner of the OCS Recruitment Handicap, the Gillian Scott-trained filly powering to victory in the hands of Donagh O’Connor.
“She’s getting into the tune of sprinting,” winning trainer Scott said. “The last day was just a bit unlucky, maybe Navan didn’t suit her, the undulations there. Here is perfect, spot-on.”
