THE stunning array of talent at Aidan O’Brien’s disposal in the juvenile fillies’ division was on full show in the Breast Cancer Research Debutante Stakes as the impressive Magical dominated from the front to complete a Group 2 double for the trainer and the Coolmore partners.
O’Brien went all out in the foremost trial for the Moyglare Stud Stakes with the Royal Ascot winner September and the Silver Flash Sakes heroine Happily both in the field. However, neither could match Magical who took a major step forward from her narrow maiden success at Cork earlier in the month.
Donnacha O’Brien made the running on Magical and the 11/1 chance did everything easily up front. One by one her rivals cried enough and the first of the Ballydoyle runners to give best was September. This still left Happily as a major threat but she couldn’t get on terms with the leader, aboard whom O’Brien never had to resort to his whip.
At the line, Magical had a length and a quarter to spare over Happily with Willie McCreery’s maiden Mary Tudor running a superb race to finish the same distance away in third. September had to settle for fourth.
“This filly had a lovely run the first day and then maybe made hard enough work of it at Cork,” said O’Brien. “Magical is out of Pivotal mare and that probably helped her on today’s ground (soft). She’ll be able to get well beyond a mile next year. Ryan (Moore) felt that Happily possibly struggled on the ground a little and Seamie felt the same about September and it was her first run since Ascot. The plan would be for all three to come for the Moyglare and we have Clemmie for that too.”
Rostropovich (11/8) kicked off O’Brien’s Group 2 double to give the trainer his fourth win in five years in the Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes. The absence of Theobald robbed this seven-furlong event of one of its leading contenders and the softening ground wasn’t ideal for any of the five runners but one couldn’t fault the winner’s attitude.
Ryan Moore’s mount was the first horse under pressure but he kept finding to remain in contention, even when his stablemate and three-race maiden Coat Of Arms looked to have taken control of the race early in the last furlong. Over the last 100 yards Rostropovich bore down on Coat Of Arms and he forced his way past on the line.
“The ground was probably slower than ideal for him but he stayed going well and he will get further,” remarked O’Brien of the Frankel colt. “On better ground he would travel better and the National Stakes back here next month would be a possibility for him.”
DURABLE
In a race that has made his own in recent seasons, Ger Lyons bagged the Group 3 Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club Curragh Stakes for the third time in four years with the durable Treasuring (3/1). A winner of a Tipperary nursery nine days before this five-furlong dash, the Qatar Racing-owned daughter of Havana Gold was providing Colin Keane with his fifth winner in two days.
Treasuring showed in front from the outset of the race and simply was not for passing at any stage. She first shook off fellow pace-setter Sirici and in the last furlong she kept on well to hold the late charge of Goodthingstaketime by half a length.
“She’s is progressing into a very nice filly which is great for all the team,” stated Lyons. “The one thing you would say is that she resents the whip.Colin felt that you’d only use the whip on her as a last resort.”
Earlier, Lyons introduced another taking newcomer as the well-backed Gobi Desert (3/1) landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. This seven-furlong event was confined to newcomers and contained no shortage of interesting types so this could be an informative contest.
From around a furlong out Keane’s mount and Threeandfourpence, a brother to Brave Anna and Hit It A Bomb, went toe to toe. The Annette O’Callaghan-owned Gobi Desert always seemed to be shading the verdict over the final furlong and he carried the day by half a length. London Icon ran a fine race to finish the same distance back in third.
“Ideally he should have been here in the six-furlong maiden yesterday and I’d have been very confident about his chances in that,” stated Lyons. “I’d say I’ll concentrate on six furlongs with him now and maybe go to Naas for a winners’ race next.”
TOP LEVEL
Dermot Weld is eyeing top level targets for a back to form Shamreen (11/4) who dominated the Group 3 Qatar Airways Royal Whip Stakes. The Group 2 winner wasn’t at her best on her comeback last month but was simply different class to her four rivals as she switched to much slower going.
The Aga Khan-owned daughter of Dubawi cruised past the 33/1 shot Massif Central early in the straight for a very smooth three and a quarter-length victory over her aforementioned rival.
“She was very impressive and she’s very effective on that ground,” reflected Weld. “She won the Blandford Stakes last year and we’ll look at that again but I’d say it’s more likely that we will try for a Group 1 with the options being the Prix de l’Opera and the E P Taylor Stakes.”
She looked a somewhat unlucky loser at Galway but Joseph O’Brien’s Detailed (5/2) more than made amends by bolting up in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap over a mile and a half.
The Annus Mirabilis-owned three-year-old was sent to the front by Seamie Heffernan around two furlongs from home and stormed clear of the progressive Pearl Of The West to prevail by six and a half lengths.
“She was unlucky at Galway but on this fairer track she was good today. She’s not the biggest filly but hopefully she’ll keep improving,” observed the rider.
Pat Flynn’s Storm Ranger ran out a smooth winner of the Derek O’Sullivan Memorial Apprentice Handicap and could be one to follow on an easy surface through the autumn.
A confident Denis Linehan allowed the five-year-old to cruise into contention on the inner from the turn-in and the 7/1 chance had plenty to spare in defeating Emily Square by one and three-quarter lengths.
“I very nearly left him at home because of the ground but he’s handled it well. I think he will make a lovely hurdler,” stated Pat Flynn who trains the winner for his wife Catherine.
The card concluded with a 28/1 shock as Handsome Maverick, who is owned, bred and trained by Donal Kinsella, bagged the extended six-furlong under Niall McCullagh. The grey didn’t go totally ignored in the betting as he was as big as 66/1 at one stage but he looked to be toiling at the rear of the field for much of the race.
To his credit, the grey then launched a sustained charge that saw him strike the front late on and he was going away at the line where he had a length to spare over A Likely Story.
Crosse ban
NATHAN Crosse was hit with a three-day careless riding ban after the stewards looked into an incident in the apprentice riders’ handicap.
ACTING STEWARDS
N.B. Wachman, P.N. Reynolds, T. Hunt, Mrs. F. Ward, P.D. Matthews
Horse To Follow
HUNTING HORN (A.P. O’Brien): This son of Camelot showed up well to finish a close fourth in the maiden won by Gobi Desert. He will make his mark at maiden level before long.