HE has taken a little time to find his form this season but a heartening effort at Ascot was followed by an all-the-way triumph for Spirit Of Valor in the Qatar Airways Minstrel Stakes which brought up a Group 2 double for Aidan O’Brien.
The War Front three-year-old posted a tremendous effort in last month’s Jersey Stakes when going down by just a neck to Le Brivido at odds of 66/1. That meant he was supplemented into this seven-furlong race, at a cost of €12,000, at the start of the week and he rewarded that confidence under a very well judged Ryan Moore ride for the Coolmore parners.
Spirit Of Valor (5/2) dictated a tempo to suit himself and he had plenty in reserve when the race began to unfold over the last quarter of a mile. At this stage fellow joint-favourite Dutch Connection (sixth) was in trouble and it was left to the other English raiders, So Beloved and Stormy Antarctic, to lead the chase but Spirit Of Valor wasn’t for catching. He kept on strongly to win by one and three-quarter lengths
“Over six or seven furlongs on fast ground he is a good horse,” said O’Brien. “He might now head to Goodwood for the Group 2 Lennox Stakes.”
Earlier, the Ballydoyle trainer, as he has done on countless occasions in the past, pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat in a major fillies’ pattern race as the unheralded Elizabeth Browning claimed the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes. The lowest rated member of the seven-runner field was returned a 12/1 chance under Seamie Heffernan.
The patiently ridden Elizabeth Browning was still last as the runners turned for home but she began to pick up well when Heffernan brought her to the outside. Up front, Laganore, Turret Rocks and Wilamina were doing battle but none of these had any answer to the winner’s last furlong charge. At the finish the China Horse Club-owned daughter of Galileo had one and three-quarter lengths to spare over Wilamina.
“She got a great ride from Seamie” stated O’Brien. “She likes that quick ground and she should stay a bit further too.”
Appropriately, Jim Bolger had the distinction of sending out Dawn Approach’s first winner in Ireland as the freshman sire struck with Dawn Delivers in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over six furlongs.
Bolger famously guided Dawn Approach through his stellar career which began in the first two-year-old maiden of the season in 2012 and took in four top-level triumphs.
The Godolphin-owned Dawn Delivers (4/7) started off with a couple of runner-up efforts and her recent second to US Navy Flag was boosted by the latter’s second in the July Stakes three previously.
The Kevin Manning-ridden filly led with over a furlong to run and was always doing enough to contain Rhododendron’s unraced sister Magical by half a length.
GOLDEN WINS
Qatar Racing’s Golden Spell made it two wins from three starts as shrugged aside top weight in the Plusvital Speed Gene Nursery Handicap. The Johnny Murtagh-trained daughter of Al Kazeem struck over the minimum trip at Bellewstown the previous week but was much happier over this six furlongs in the first nursery of the season.
The 11/4 favourite, who was conceding upwards of 10lbs to her seven rivals, picked up nicely for Colin Keane to lead with over a furlong to run and she kept on well to defeat Navajo Dreamer by a length and a quarter.
“She was on her head the whole way at Bellewstown but today I could ride a race on her and she appreciated the longer trip,” observed Keane. “She’s tough and genuine and will stay another furlong. Maybe she might try for some blacktype.”
The teak-tough Zeftan, who had to settle for fourth in the Ladies Derby here the previous evening, turned out fresh and well to land the two-mile Killashee Handicap.
The Danny Sheehy-ridden gelding improved off a steady pace to launch his effort with over a furlong to run and he overhauled the front-running Mandatorio late on to score by a neck.
Zeftan (9/2) also turned out twice on Derby weekend when he won the Apprentice Derby and finished third in a 10-furlong handicap.
“He was made a shade unlucky here last night the way the race unfolded but he’s very tough and he loves this place so we’ll keep him coming back here,” commented owner/trainer Adrian Keatley .
Surrounding(9/1) shrugged aside a three-month absence from the track to make it two wins from three career outings in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap. Over this steadily run seven furlongs, Surrounding was always nicely placed for Shane Foley but it was only nearing the line that the four-year-old found a way past the tenacious front-runner Stormy Belle.
“She got badly struck into when she won her maiden at Limerick which is why she didn’t run again until now,” declared Halford of the Peter Newell-owned mare.
“We’ll probably try another handicap next. She has terrific and patient owners and they have all the family so I’d say she could try for blacktype some day.”
The well-bred and experienced Kamili (7/2) picked up a valuable winning bracket in the one-mile fillies’ maiden. The Ann Marshall-owned daughter of Invincible Spirit, who is out of a Group 3-winning half-sister to the triple Arc de Triomphe runner-up Youmzain, came with a strong last furlong challenge under Donnacha O’Brien. She got on top in the closing stages to defeat the newcomer Muniza by three-quarters of a length.
“She’s improving with every run. She’s been a slow learner but we feel that she’s on the right track now and we’ll step her up in class now,” reported Joseph O’Brien.
Corinthians rise to the Challenge
THE first leg of this year’s Corinthian Challenge went to Nearly Famous and Lynne McLoughlin who poached an unassailable lead over their rivals from well before the straight. At the line Nearly Famous had seven lengths to spare under her jockey who rides out for Jessica Harrington each morning.
ACTING STEWARDS
F. Clarke, T.L. Crawford, J. Murphy, R.S. Martin, P.D. Matthews
Horse To Follow
SHEKIBA (J.G. Murphy): This daughter of Arcano shaped up nicely on her debut when keeping on for fourth in the maiden won by Dawn Delivers. She will certainly improve and should find a maiden winable.