ENGLISH raider Snowy Winter, a 97-rated filly from the Archie Watson yard, put her experience to good use when springing a 25/1 surprise in the hands of Gary Carroll in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Hurry Harriet Stakes at Gowran Park on Wednesday evening.
Boadicea Bloodstock’s longshot, who was nibbled at in the betting nonetheless from 40/1, headed joint-favourite Curly a furlong down, only to be tackled by Hence and then Dynabee inside the distance.
To her credit, Snowy Winter hung on over on the far rail by a nose from Hence, with Dynabee half a length adrift in third. The other joint-favourite, Lagostovegas, never posed a threat.
Carroll reported: “I rang Archie this morning and he was quite confident. He told me to ride her positively and I committed early and she toughed it out. There were plenty of unexposed horses in the race and we had plenty of experience and she used it.
“That’s probably as far as she wants and she really ground it out. Archie has a good strike rate in England and I hope he sends a few more over!”
Local trainer Willie Mullins, out of luck with Lagostovegas, had earlier sent out Law Girl, a comparatively rare success on the flat for Susannah Ricci, for a three-quarter length win in the McEnery Cup.
The daughter of Lawman gave Colin Keane the second leg of a double when reeling in Dawn Hoofer, with market leader Arthurian Fame back in fourth.
This signalled a return to form by the 9/1 winner whose trainer commented: “The ground and the track made the difference.
“There was a lot of rain before her race in Galway and the ground changed which didn’t suit her – she wants that ground (officially good-to-firm, good in places). She’ll stick to the flat – I’ve no interest in going back over hurdles and we’ll try and win as much as we can before she goes to the sales at the end of the year.”
Ger Lyons supplied Keane with his initial success in which came through Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.winner Giga White who dictated it by a neck from the long-time leader South Pacific to justify 2/1 favouritism in the colours of his American owner Mark Breen who owns a building firm in the US.
IMPROVEMENT
Lyons is anticipating plenty of improvement from the Dark Angel colt, saying: “He’s a very raw horse and very weak behind the saddle. The idea was for Mark to come over for Champions Weekend and I’ll discuss it with him but I’d be very surprised if we ran him again this year.
“What we’re seeing at home is pure weakness and he just needs to round up. He loved the ground but, with the maiden under his belt, my gut feeling is that’ll be the last we’ll see of him this year. He was even a better horse physically today than he was the last day.”
Joseph O’Brien also came away from the meeting with a couple of winners and kept his sister Sarah happy when the 5/4 favourite Facethepuckout became her first winner in her purple and mauve silks to oblige in the Derek Ryan Plays Live After Racing Nursery Handicap.
The hot-pot needed a couple of reminders from Donnacha O’Brien before collecting with a bit in hand by half a length from Dandy Belle.
His trainer observed: “On his Galway run he was entitled to be there or thereabouts and he’ll go for another nursery. I think there’s progression to come from him.”
Shane Crosse continues to make a good impression and brought up the O’Brien double when taking the first division of the apprentice handicap aboard the top-weight, Pedisnap.
The 11/4 chance, owned and bred by John Farrell from Ballivor in Co. Meath, was good value for his neck victory over Lizard Point, with ‘the good thing’ Royal Admiral the same distance away in third.
“Shane and Donnacha, who rode her before, said to try her going a bit further, so that was her first time over a mile and it was nice to see her getting the trip,” O’Brien said.
“She’s gone up a lot in the handicap and Shane gave her great ride and didn’t panic. She’s a nice hardy filly and if any horse won three races in a year, you’d be happy.”
Pedisnap’s owner John Farrell said “I’m absolutely delighted and only for my wife Patricia we wouldn’t be in horses at all.”
The second leg went the way of Gary Halpin’s mount Enzani who scored by a decisive two lengths from Invincible Queen. The Gordon Elliott-trained 9/4 favourite, an Aga Khan cast-off, was picked up at Goffs at the end of October and is now in the ownership of Shane Reville from Newbridge.
Enzani was having his third outing for his present connections and will mix it between the flat and jumps according to Reville who said: “He was bought as a dual-purpose horse and I’ll be guided by Gordon. If he’s okay, he’ll run under a penalty over a mile at Dundalk on Friday.”
Billy Lee made every post a winning one on Britesavers Limited’s Mazzuri in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap and, hard as Check Your Pockets and Passing Trade tried, they were unable to peg back the 4/1 shot who held on by half a length.
The filly’s trainer Willie McCreery remarked: “Billy gave her a lovely ride in front. He was worried there wouldn’t be much pace and didn’t want it turning into a sprint but he turned it into a sprint to suit himself.
“She’s improving the whole time and we might just try and get a bit of blacktype for her.”
The Aga Khan’s home-bred three-year-old Dabiyr (9/10) continued the good record of winning favourites when coming up trumps for Dermot Weld and Declan McDonogh in the Irish EBF Supporting Irish Champions Weekend Maiden by a length.
“It was a workmanlike performance and he battled well and got a good ride from Declan,” was the parting shot from his trainer.
“He ran a good race in Galway and the experience he gained there helped him. He’d probably appreciate a little bit more of an ease in the ground.”
ACTING STEWARDS
N.P. Lambert, J. Martin-Smith, Mrs J.O. Onions, L. McFerran, L. Walsh.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
TRETHIAS (J. Harrington): The newcomer dwelt at the start of the seven-furlong maiden but finished late and fast to take fourth place in eye-catching fashion. Should come on a lot from the experience.
One day ban
BEN Coen picked up a one-day ban for using his whip with excessive force and frequency on the third-placed Sleepy Head in the seventh race.