PRAIRIE Girl was a big eye-catcher when a keeping-on fourth on her belated return in the five-furlong Sheehy Motors Volkswagen Handicap at the Curragh last Sunday, writes Andy Stephens.

The Danny Murphy-trained four-year-old was slow to reach 20mph, which is not unusual for her, and was obliged to play catch up.

She was last of the dozen runners after a furlong, being 0.85sec (about five lengths) behind the eventual winner, Rosie Frith, but then reeled off successive fast furlongs of 10.23sec (fastest of the field) and 10.41sec (second fastest) to make up some of the leeway.

The daughter of Mehmas also finished off with a fast final furlong of 11.53sec to end up being beaten just over a length.

She had been off almost six months and is entitled to be sharper next time, for all that her entry in the Group 3 Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan Stakes at Naas next weekend (August 23rd) looks ambitious.

Headmaster was a never dangerous 10th in the same contest, with the drop in trip being no good to him. His finishing speed percentage of 105.35% was best by some margin, so keep him in mind when he moves back up in distance.

Two more to note are Nouvel Espoir and Sovereign Cry, who finished third and fourth in the Tote-sponsored six-furlong handicap on the same card.

They both found pouncing from off the pace in a steadily-run race beyond them – the time index was 5.7 when the meeting average was 7.4 – but their efforts need marking up as they completed the final two furlongs in 23.22sec and 23.16sec, respectively, whereas the pair who beat them took 23.61sec.