FAIYUM (5/6 favourite) was the star of the show at Gowran Park on Saturday, when making all the running to easily land the featured Denny Cordell Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes.
Colin Keane’s mount had all her rivals off the bridle turning for home and the daughter of Frankel, owned and bred by Juddmonte, kept on strongly in the straight to land the Group 3 contest by seven lengths from Higher Leaves.
Winning trainer Ger Lyons said: “We said she’d grow a leg on this heavy ground and that’s why we’ve been so patient with her. She’s a lovely filly. She’s twice the filly there than the one you saw winning earlier on in the year, and finishing second to Barnavara.
“We’ll see if something presents itself between now and the end of the season, I’m just not sure over 10 furlongs if there is.
“I have no problem, once we talk to Barry Mahon (Juddmonte racing manager) and the team, waiting with her until next year and having a proper campaign on soft ground.”
O’Brien double
Aidan O’Brien, Wayne Lordan and the Coolmore partners won the opening two juvenile maidens on the card.
Well down the field, albeit beaten less than seven lengths, when favourite for her debut at the Curragh, Ice Dancer (5/6 favourite) was a different proposition with the benefit of that experience and made all to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
The daughter of Wootton Bassett kept pulling out more in the closing stages to hold Noble Honour by half a length.
Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong said: “She was far too green the first day. She’s one to really look forward to for next year. She’s a massive big filly and will be a lovely middle distance filly. She might go for the Silken Glider Stakes at the Curragh next month.”
Gowran’s gift
Christmas Day (6/4 favourite) completed the Ballydoyle double in the Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden (Smullen Series).
Lordan soon had the Camelot colt in second place as Hedjet made the running. Nothing else was able to land a blow in the straight and, although the front-runner proved resolute, Christmas Day edged ahead in the closing stages to score by half a length.
Armstrong said: “It’s great to have three runs into him now, the groundwork is done for next year. We’ll see if we’ll try him in stakes company before the end of the year. He’ll be a lovely horse over a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half next year.
“Once he fills his frame, he’ll be a big, strong, imposing three-year-old.”
GREAT Mover (8/1) gained a first victory on her 14th start when taking the Support The Irish Injured Jockeys Fund Apprentice Handicap.
Close to the pace from the start, Megan Telford-Kelly sent her to the front approaching the straight and she asserted in the final furlong to beat market leader Positive Energy by four and three quarter lengths.
Willie McCreery, who trains the winner for the Probity Syndicate, said: “I told Megan to jump out and conserve as much as possible. I thought she gave her a lovely ride and she seemed to love the ground.”
Back to form
Akecheta (9/4) recorded a first win since last year’s debut success at Tipperary when taking the Gowran Park For Golf Race under Shane Foley. The daughter of Sioux Nation, owned by Louis Walshe, had run well in several valuable 10-furlong handicaps in Britain this season.
Here, dropping back to seven furlongs, she was ridden close to the pace and led over a furlong out before fending off market leader Gleneagle Bay by three-parts of a length.
Trainer Kevin Coleman remarked: “She’s had a long year, but I think there’s another one of these coming up in Bellewstown. She was second in it last year and we’ll probably go back there.”
Breakthrough success
Amplitude (4/1 favourite) opened his account in good style when running out a convincing winner of the nine-and-a-half-furlong maiden, which was restricted to horses rated 70 or less.
Gary Carroll was soon in front on the Invincible Army gelding, owned by Holmoak Stables and Kevin Duffy, and his mount stayed on strongly to record a six-length victory over Direct Approach.
“It was a nice race for him and we’ll see what the handicapper does before making a plan,” said winning trainer Joe Murphy.
“He needs that soft ground and I could see him making a nice three-year-old hurdler.”
OHMALI (7/2 favourite) made the breakthrough in division one of the Boyle Sports Home Of Early Payout Handicap, when finishing strongly under Seamie Heffernan. The Natalia Lupini-trained gelding, owned by Dougie Sloan, finished best to beat Slaney Swagger by half a length.
Heffernan said: “He’s uncomplicated and has probably matured. I won well at the line and he will stay further.”
The second division of that 0-60 contest went to handicap debutant Syzygy (12/1) for young Curragh trainer Danny McLoughlin. Andrew Davis’ home-bred daughter of Cable Bay wore down front-runner Pandion Power in the closing stages to score by a length.
Jockey Ben Coen reported: “Danny said she’d appreciate the cut in the ground, which probably made the difference today. It slowed things down for her. She was still quite green, but picked up and hit the line well so I’d say further will suit her.”