CARLA Ridge blew away her rivals on a windy afternoon at the Curragh last Saturday, when making the breakthrough at stakes level in stunning style in the Darley Irish EBF Brigid’s Pastures Stakes.
The New Bay filly, trained by Eddie and Patrick Harty, had been placed in blacktype company three times previously this season and went to post a well-backed 10/3 favourite in the Listed event.
Chris Hayes’ mount travelled well to lead passing the two-furlong pole in the six-furlong contest and soon settled matters, powering clear in the final furlong for a 10-length success over Navassa Island.
“We were debating this morning whether we’d run her or not,” Patrick Harty said afterwards. “The choice was here, Newmarket or the paddock. We said this was on our doorstep so we’d take the chance. Dan Kiely [owner] was great and said he’d leave it up to us. There was no pressure.
“In my eyes, I thought she was the best horse in the race by a margin and I guess she just did what we hoped she would do. Given how well she handled the conditions, maybe we’ll look at another option but we’ll see how she comes out of the race.”
Red letter day for Stokes
Jessica Stokes was another to enjoy a memorable success when her first ride under flat rules resulted in her first career winner aboard Alfalfa in the Al Basti Equiworld Lady Riders Handicap. The Tim Doyle-trained gelding was held up early and Stokes delivered the 13/2 shot with a well-timed run to lead inside the final furlong and record a length and a quarter win.
“He ran well here last week (when fourth) and I was quietly hoping he’d run a good race today,” said Doyle. “The extra couple of furlongs helped him, he’s very honest and he keeps galloping.”
On the winning rider, he added: “She’s from Fethard and she’s Nicky Stokes’ daughter. That’s her first winner, she rides point-to-points mostly.
“She’s a lovely rider. She rode one for me during the summer, over hurdles, and she finished second. Nobody else could get the horse placed. I’m a big fan now!”
WAYNE Lordan kept home fires burning on Arc weekend with an opening race double on the card and both juvenile winners were by recently deceased supersire Wootton Bassett.
Causeway stepped forward nicely from his debut run when justifying 11/8 favouritism in the Bermingham Cameras Irish EBF Maiden. Aidan O’Brien’s charge led before halfway and asserted in the closing stages to post a comprehensive two-and-a-quarter-length win.
Lordan said: “He’s a lovely, big, scopey horse. He had a lovely run in Gowran (when fourth on debut) and he was staying on well. It’s tough going (the ground) and suited this fella because he’s a horse that will stay well.”
In the following fillies’ contest, Cameo made virtually all to open her account at the third time of asking. The 5/4 favourite pulled clear over a furlong from home to beat stablemate Together Now by two and a quarter lengths.
“She’s a lovely filly and we always felt she would stay,” Lordan said. “At Punchestown, on a tight turning track like that, everything happened a little bit quick but she stayed on well.
“Up here she was going to come into her own and I thought she won quite well. I think you won’t see the best of her until she goes up in trip.”
On the up
Syzygy (12/1) looks like another horse on the upgrade after securing a follow-up success in the Final Furlong Podcast for Danny McLoughlin and owner/breeder Andrew Davis.
Off the mark at Gowran last month, she was produced by Nathan Crosse to lead over a furlong from home and she held the late challenge of God Knows to secure a head success.
“She’s a filly that I liked but she was slow to learn everything and she’s improving all the time,” said McLoughlin.
“Today she sharpened up plenty and Nathan said he thought he even kicked a little bit too soon on her as she only does enough. She’ll probably benefit from stepping up to a mile-and-a-quarter and she enjoys those conditions.”
SAM Coen is enjoying a real breakout season and moved on to 18 winners for the year, courtesy of Highbury See See and Smoke Them Out. He completed the double on the latter, making all aboard the 7/1 shot in the 1xbet.ie Safer Gambling Handicap to win by three-parts of a length.
Trainer Tom McCourt said: “It was just the ground. He won last year at Cork on slow ground and was second in Naas. He ran well here at the beginning of the year, but we just haven’t had that ground all year.”
Coen teamed up with Andy Slattery on Highbury See See in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Apprentice Handicap, getting on top late on to secure a head victory. On Hugo McDermott’s gelding, assistant trainer Brian Slattery said: “It was a nice performance from a three-year-old to beat some hardened campaigners.
“He is entered in the horses-in-training sale at Newmarket and we’ve a good slot in that, three-quarters through the catalogue on the first day. That is an option and the owners will decide that. We’ve a very nice, fun horse on their hands whatever they decide to do.”
Murphy eyes pot with Journey
Danny Murphy is hoping Unique Journey (6/1) can bag a nice prize before heading to the sales later this month. Shane Foley’s mount was game when striking late to win the 1xbet.ie Supports Irish Racing Handicap by a neck.
“He ran a cracker in the Bold Lad, and he hadn’t run in three months because of the hard ground in the summer,” said Murphy of the dual winner owned by Trevor Dalzell, James Morgan, Karl Kirwan and Mrs John Murphy.
“He’s a good horse and I’ll consider entering him for York next Saturday, there is a £100,000 handicap. If he got heavy ground again, he’d go.
“He’s in the October Sale. The owners want to buy a couple of yearlings, so I said if we got a few quid for him, we’d buy a couple of yearlings.”