CHATTERING Classes lost her maiden tag when winning the Group 3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes in convincing fashion for Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley at the Curragh on Tuesday.

The Valerie Cooper-owned 16/1 chance was well on top at the line, pulling clear to win by a length and a half, having only headed Paddy Twomey’s front-runner The Good Wife with a little over 50 yards to race.

Representing the trainer, Kate Harrington said: “We’re delighted with that. Seamie (Heffernan) came in after the race in Thurles and held his hands up and said he should have won.

“We knew she was a nice filly. She literally had no race that day and came out of it so, so well. We gave her a breeze on Friday and she was very good. She’s got no fancy entries and we’ll see how things turn out next spring. The Salsabil Stakes (at Navan next April) was the plan after the last day, so we’ll see.”

Blazing the way

Two weeks on from the success of King Christoph at Thurles, owner Sean Greaney landed another two-year-old winner as Nation Blaze took the opening 1xBet.ie Supporting October Racing Irish EBF Maiden.

The first of two winners on the day for trainer Andy Slattery and his son Andrew, the 5/2 favourite kicked on over a furlong out to beat Rejoinder by a length and a half.

“We thought he was a very good horse early in the season, it took him a long time to come to himself,” said the winning trainer.

The Slatterys were later on the mark with 10/1 chance Kodi Brown landing the 1xBet.ie Supports The Curragh Handicap, the Finbarr Walsh-owned four-year-old following up on her win at Navan two weeks previously.

Up 11lb in the ratings and running from an unfavourably wide draw, she led over two furlongs out and gamely held Dark Summit by a length and a half.

“She’s an improver; it’s a pity the season is ending so quickly for her now and I must see if there is anything for her on the last day,” said Slattery senior.

“We thought she was nice last year, but she was never travelling in her races. She was probably a bit backward. She likes bit of ease in the ground. Finbarr (Walsh) was looking to go over hurdles, but I’m wondering should we keep her for the flat next year.”

The Raceday Stewards enquired into an incident in the closing stages involving Anvika (Reese Holohan), Khormor Syd (BillyLee) and Servare (Adam Browne-Souza), where it appeared Anvika clipped a heel and unseated Holohan. Stewards found Browne-Souza had ridden carelessly and suspended the rider for seven days.

THE 6/1 shot Nouvel Espoir brought his career tally to six wins when taking the Autumn Racing With 1xBet.ie Handicap for trainer Jimmy Barcoe. The Colin Keane-ridden top-weight had a little in hand in beating Danny McLoughlin’s 5/1 favourite Lilli’s Angel by two lengths.

“He ran a nice race the last day in a higher grade, so coming back to that grade with Colin Keane on his back, we were looking forward to it,” said Barcoe of the Yvonne Hennessy and Susan O’Neill-owned winner.

“The horse has been brilliant for us; we really appreciate what he has done and we’re very lucky to have him. He has a great constitution, because from the start of the year until now he’s done nothing but improve.”

Gleeson bags the Derby

John Gleeson teamed up with Joseph O’Brien’s French import Contorsion to win the Every Race, Every Moment 1xBet.ie Amateur Riders Derby. On her second start for O’Brien, the Sue-Ann Foley-owned 9/2 chance asserted well inside the final furlong to score by two and a quarter lengths from Absurde.

“She had a setback after her run in Gowran Park, so she missed the summer,” said O’Brien. “I thought she’d come on for the run today. She probably has a little bit of class. You’d be excited about her prospect, medium to long-term.”

David Dunsdon, rider of Sirius, was found in breach of having his arm above shoulder height and was suspended for two days.

A CLOSE second at Gowran Park on the previous afternoon, the Conor Maxwell-trained Tariff landed the Gambling Responsibly With 1xBet.ie Handicap. The Breen White-owned three-year-old was adding to his narrow success at Thurles earlier this month. Julian Pietropaolo tracked the leaders on the 100/30 favourite and led with 100 yards to race to beat God Knows by half a length.

“He was tough. I thought yesterday might have taken the shine off him a bit, but we took him out for a pick of grass this morning and he was good and well in himself,” said Maxwell. “He jumped and travelled, which is something he doesn’t usually do. He toughed it out well.”

In relation to the late arrival to post of Zipster and Vlhova, contributing to a four-minute delay to the off, the Raceday Stewards fined trainer Ger O’Leary €200.

Overseas options available

The 84-rated Together Now was the only odds-on chance of the day and she made no mistake in the Bill Hanlon Memorial Fillies Maiden. Ridden by Ryan Moore for Aidan O’Brien, the 1/5 favourite drew clear from over a furlong out to beat Sounds Great by three and three-parts of a length.

“She had a lovely run here on her seasonal debut and then, for whatever reason, it just didn’t happen for her in Killarney,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong. “She might come back here for the Finale Stakes or there are a couple of options in England.”