REST OF THE CARD
HIS northern hemisphere career looks as though it will be a fleeting one but Merchant Navy’s display in the Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes would suggest that he is going to leave an indelible mark on racing in these parts.
Only a second winner of this race for Aidan O’Brien, the Fastnet Rock four-year-old is a Group 1 winner in his native Australia and was switched to Ireland with Ascot as his aim following a good third in a top-level contest at Flemington in March. Indications after this race were that Merchant Navy’s stint in Ballydoyle may span just two outings.
Ryan Moore settled the 9/2 chance at the rear as those up front set a searing pace but with around two furlongs to run Merchant Navy began to pick his way through the field with some menace. He then headed stablemate Spirit Of Valor and he defeated that rival by a length. The multiple Group 1-placed Tasleet was a further length and a quarter back in third with fellow English raider Brando taking fourth.
“He was just ready to come racing. He was at the racecourse gallop stage and we were just hoping for a nice run,” declared O’Brien. “He made up plenty of ground from halfway there and you’d expect that he’ll improve a lot from that. The plan is to head to Ascot for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and I think after Ascot he’s going to be heading back to Australia.”
COMMANDING
Her debut success marked her out as a two-year-old of real promise and a commanding dismissal of some promising colts in the Cold Move Irish EBF Marble Hill Stakes speaks volumes about Fairyland’s standing in the juvenile division. The Evie Stockwell-owned daughter of Kodiac, who was leading home a one-two-three for Aidan O’Brien, was bidding to become the first filly in nine years to win this listed race.
The 4/1 chance travelled supremely well through the race for Seamie Heffernan and with two furlongs to run Fairyland had everything covered. As the last furlong loomed she asserted to move clear and never had to be asked for her all in registering a two-and-a-quarter-length triumph from the odds-on Van Beethoven. It will take quite an effort from one of her contemporaries to lower her colours at Ascot.
“She’s a lovely, relaxed filly. She won nicely first time out at Naas and was very comfortable over five furlongs that day and today she got the six furlongs very well,” declared O’Brien. “She’s a beautiful mover. We’ll look at either the Queen Mary or the Albany for her at Ascot.”
Opal Tiara (16/1-10/1) looks to have ended her career in a blaze of glory as the Mick Channon stalwart bagged the second Group 2 success of her career in the Lanwades Stud Stakes. A first Group 2 victory for jockey Ronan Whelan, the well travelled daughter of Thousand Words is in foal to Churchill and indications afterwards were that she will sign off on this note.
IMPROVE
As she looked to improve on her second in this race 12 months ago, the five-year-old crept through on the inner to throw down the strongest challenge to the returning dual Group 1 heroine Hydrangea with over a furlong to run. The latter, who will now head to Royal Ascot, was unable to withstand Opal Tiara in the closing stages and went down by a length and three-quarters. Afterwards Ronan Whelan was given a one-day careless riding ban.
“After she came back from Dubai this year we gave her a break and put her in foal and I’d say that we might well let her finish on that note,” reported the trainer’s son and assistant Jack Channon. “She’s been a great mare for us for the last few seasons, she just keeps turning up in these good races and running well.”
Just Wonderful (9/2) got the card off to the perfect start for the Ballydoyle team with a debut success in the six-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden. As ever, this contest contained its share of interesting fillies, the majority of whom were unraced, and it can be relied on to yield a number of future winners over the coming weeks.
Unusually for a two-year-old maiden, the field split into two groups at the start and those on the far side appeared to hold an edge from some way out. The Ryan Moore-ridden winner, who is a daughter of Dansili and the Rockfel Stakes winner Wading, was among that group and she quickened impressively to surge clear heading towards the last furlong. Lethal Promise, a runner-up on her recent debut, finished strongly against the stand’s side rail, but she still went down by a neck.
“Ours usually have to be good to win first time,” commented O’Brien. “She’ll probably go to Ascot now and its very unlikely that she will have time to run again before then. The Albany Stakes would be the race for her there.”
FOUR WINNERS
Hence made it four winners on the day for Aidan O’Brien and completed a treble for Ryan Moore in the €50,000 three-year-old fillies’ handicap over a mile. The daughter of Galileo was beaten in a Cork maiden the previous week but she finished in front of Romanised when running a very creditable fourth in the Tetrarch Stakes on her penultimate outing. The 13/2 chance came between horses to lead inside the distance and she defeated the Madrid Handicap winner Dianthus by half a length.
“We came here with a view to seeing whether she might be one for the Sandringham at Royal Ascot and she looked to get the mile so that is where she might go next,” declared O’Brien.
After just missing out in the two-year-old maiden, Willie McCreery went one better in the FBD Hotels And Resorts Handicap over six furlongs as Patuano (14/1) rediscovered her best form. Leigh Roche was on board the Britesavers Limited-owned daughter of Choisir, who had this race under control over the last quarter of a mile, and the pair finished two lengths ahead of Comhghairdeas.
“She loved that ground. I’ve been scratching my head a little with her as she’s been working well but ran poorly the last day. She got into a lovely rhythm there and she might head to Listowel for a six-furlong handicap on Sunday,” declared McCreery.
Medal Of Honour has a trip to Ascot on his agenda after he sprang a 16/1 surprise in the three-year-old mile handicap. On his first outing since winning a Dundalk maiden in December, the Joseph O’Brien-trained colt produced a display which suggested that could have progressed nicely from two to three.
In a race that contained a few hard luck stories Seamie Heffernan’s mount quickened well from the rear to lead well over a furlong from home and he kept on nicely to finish with a length and a quarter to spare over Bond Street.
“That will do his confidence plenty of good. Last season he ran well in some good maidens where he bumped into horses like Rostropovich and The Pentagon,” reported Joseph O’Brien who trains the colt for Fager Stables. “He likes being ridden like that way and I’d say he might now go to Ascot for the Britannia.”
ACTING STEWARDS
P. Caffrey, Mrs T.K. Cooper, R. Dore, L. McFerran, P.D. Matthews
Horse To Follow
GEE REX (J.C. Hayden): This son of Requinto belied odds of 66/1 to run a tremendous race to take fourth in the Marble Hill Stakes. His display represented a dramatic improvement on his debut effort at this track a fortnight ago and he has a bright future.