VICTORIOUS booked her Royal Ascot ticket in winning the featured Group 3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the Ryan Moore-partnered 10/11 favourite led passing the furlong pole and kept on well to beat newcomer Controlla by a neck. O’Brien said of the Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Westerberg-owned filly: “She’s still green but she’s lovely. I’m delighted with that. Ryan just said he followed two and they died in front of him at halfway and he got left there. She was a bit green when she was in front but it was good for her. The Albany is the plan.”
O’Brien and Moore went on to complete a double as Mission Central won the Listed Sole Power Sprint Stakes. Owned by the Tabor/Smith, Magnier/Westerberg/Brant partnership, the 5/4 favourite disputed early and led passing the two-furlong pole.
Comfortable
Ryan Moore was always comfortable on the No Nay Never gelding who scored by a length and a half.
O’Brien said: “It was a very quick time on that ground. He’s progressing lovely. The plan was to go to the King’s Stand with him. I’m delighted with that. Quick ground would only help him because he’s very fast. He travelled well through the race and kept going.”
The Donnacha O’Brien-trained Havana Anna is also Ascot bound following her win in the Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes. Gavin Ryan was always prominent on the 9/4 chance, who kept on well inside the final furlong to score by a head for owners Gaynor Bloodstock LLC.
“I’m delighted with her. I thought there was plenty to work on today, it was kind of a starting point,” said O’Brien. “I think she’ll improve a lot for that so we’ll head for the Commonwealth now all being well.”
HENRY de Bromhead and Ronan Whelan teamed up for a 1683/1 double. Wannabe Royal was the highlight of that brace when winning the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes.
Sent off 33/1, the Coolmara Stables Limited owned filly led after a furlong and, made the rest to prevail by a head.
De Bromhead said: “She is a lovely filly. An amazing ride from Ronan again, he is riding out of his skin. She really battled back. Ronan said we needed seven on a bend, in fairness to him. So when he came out I said ‘now, you’ve got seven on a bend’. In fairness, he got it right.
“He was spot on. I’m delighted for the Marigas, great supporters of ours, great breeders. She’s obviously a valuable filly for the paddocks.”
Totally Puzzled initiated the double when making all to win the Twydil/Clovelly Irish EBF Fillies Maiden. Owned by the Acheson family, the 50/1 chance found plenty for Whelan close home to win by a head.
De Bromhead said: “The last run was just so bad, it was too bad to be true. I’d say it must just have been really testing ground. Her first run was a real good run so it’s nice to see her back to form.
She was fancied the last day at the Curragh but she just seemed to really struggle for whatever reason. Colin Keane suggested dropping back to a mile and the stiff mile really suited her. I have to say, Ronan has given ours great rides recently so I’m delighted for him as well.”
YOUR Song was a shock 28/1 winner of the Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Race. Making all under Hollie Doyle, the Robson De Aguiar-trained filly held on by a neck from stablemate What A Girl Wants.
De Aguiar said of the Miss Kerri Radcliffe, Arthur P Hoyeau and Giselle De Aguiar-owned filly: “She’s a nice filly. Last time, the ground in Cork was too soft for her and she didn’t like it. She has a good turn of foot, plenty of speed, and she confirmed the work she had been doing at home. We’ll try and go for the Queen Mary with her.”
McGee makes Ascot claim
Bobby McGee made it three in a row this season when landing the opening Royal Ascot Trials At Naas Rated Race. Sent off 3/1 under Colin Keane, the Tony O’Gorman-owned gelding led inside the final furlong for a length-and-a-quarter success.
“He was good today, he was very good, and what can you say about the fella that was riding him? He was good too!” said winning trainer Noel Meade.
“I was impressed with him myself today the way that he done that. I suppose we might enter him in the Britannia at Ascot. We’ll see, he might go there. He probably mightn’t want rock hard ground, I’d say. A little ease might suit him better. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Rocking and rolling
Jagged Edge led home a 1-2 for trainer Stephen Thorne and owners Shamrock Thoroughbreds when beating Far From Dandy three and three-quarter lengths in the ALTO Equine Building Solutions Handicap.
Thorne said of the Jack Kearney-partnered 10/1 winner: “We were ready to rock and roll for the Irish Lincoln but unfortunately he scoped poorly the week of the race, so we just had to sit and wait.
“He had been showing all the right signals at home and, we felt he was just ready to start. Hopefully now the horse has a bright summer in front of him. We’ll have to see what the handicapper does to him but we might make a Royal Hunt Cup entry tomorrow.”