A BACK to form Queen Catrine showed just what she is capable of as she pulled off something of a surprise from the front in the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes to headline a treble for Ger Lyons.
The Qatar Racing-owned five-year-old was Group 1-placed as a juvenile and won a Naas listed race on her debut for the trainer last October. However, she had been some way below her best in three outings this season and, at 14/1, she was the second longest priced runner in the field for this seven-furlong contest.
Queen Catrine was given a fine ride by Gary Carroll and she had all bar the strong-travelling Most Beautiful beaten as the last furlong loomed. For the duration of the last furlong Most Beautiful was upsides the winner, but Queen Catrine would not be denied and pulled out that bit more to score by a head. Molly Dolly was five lengths back in third with the odds-on Raymonda (found to be distressed post race) fourth. The winner comes from the family of two of the great racemares of modern times, Triptych and Treve.
“We felt we had the two best fillies (last year’s Ainippe was the other Lyons runner) in the race if they came back to what we were seeing at home. In fairness they probably haven’t had their ground all summer,” said Lyons. “This filly has been working every bit as good as Ainippe at home and it’s very important to win a Group 3 with her. I’m delighted for Gary (Carroll) who is a huge part of the team.”
Lyons began the day brightly as the promising Noivado (7/4) got off the mark in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden to build on two nice runs last month. The Sean Jones-owned son of Casamento, who is out of a half-sister to Chachamaidee, had work to do from midfield early in the straight, but at no stage did Colin Keane look anxious. Indeed, when Noivado was asked to pick up he responded readily to strike the front inside the distance. He hit the line with half a length to spare over the strong finishing Hunaina.
“He’d a lovely first run at Leopardstown and then I stepped him up to seven furlongs at the Curragh (fifth to Alexios Komnenos) where he looked a likely winner with a furlong to run, but he’s just not ready for that trip yet,” commented Lyons. “He’s a horse with a nice future and I like him.”
The treble was bought up by another Qatar Racing-owned representative in Lustrous Light (6/5) who saw off the evens favourite Cook Islands in the three-runner mile and a half conditions race. The Galileo colt, who wasn’t beaten too far when seventh in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last time, made all the running under Colin Keane.
From the turn in Lustrous Light looked to be doing enough to contain Cook Island and that rival eventually went down by two and a half lengths.
“He’s not the finished article yet but he’s a nice horse with a good attitude and this trip is probably a minimum for him. His trip away to Ascot probably helped him to man up a little bit,” said the trainer.
DESERVING DEEGAN
Perhaps the most deserving winner of the day was Fast In The Wind (7/1) in the Coral.ie Handicap over six furlongs. Paul Deegan’s charge won a Curragh maiden on his racecourse debut in April 2013 but then endured a 28-race barren spell before this contest. He had run well on a number of occasions this season though, reaching the frame six times.
In the last furlong, Killian Leonard’s mount overhauled Greek Canyon and he hit the line half a length in front of the fast finisher Deeds Not Words.
“He’s not winning out of turn. Killian was very good on him and that’s his ground and optimum trip,” declared Deegan, whose wife Kate owns the winner.
In her brief career to date Not A Whisper (4/1) has shown a commendable level of versatility, which was again in evidence as she claimed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over seven furlongs. This Kodiac filly won a Navan bumper on her racecourse debut last September, but she has sharpened up a good deal in the interim and came here off a placed run over a mile.
Leigh Roche made the running on the Margaret Miley-owned filly. Not A Whisper was under strong pressure sooner than some of her rivals but she found plenty from the entrance to the straight and held off the newcomer Katiymann by a neck.
“I was lucky to win a bumper with her given her pedigree. The last day at Naas she ran well over a mile but I thought that she didn’t get home,” said trainer Aidan Howard. “I was quite hopeful coming here and the only concern was the ground, it’s as quick as she’d like and summer soft is probably ideal for her.”
The improving Time To Reason added the Coral.ie Handicap to his recent maiden win at this track. Johnny Murtagh’s charge dominated this three-year-olds only seven-furlong contest from the moment he won the early battle for the lead with Arch Sting.
The Sultan Ali-owned gelding held commanding lead entering the last quarter of a mile and finished two and a half lengths clear of Indrahar. The 4/1 chance was providing 17-year-old apprentice Denis Linehan with his first win of the season and his ninth in total.
“He’s not a flashy worker at home but it’s different when he gets to the track. He’s a progressive horse and the 7lb claim was a big help to him,” reported the trainer.
After sending out three seconds over the course of the afternoon, Michael Halford did get amongst the winners as Ebsani (11/1) and Conor McGovern took the mile and a half apprentice riders’ handicap. A year ago this Paul Rooney-owned five-year-old held a rating of 96 but he had dropped down to a mark of 70 for this event.
The Manduro gelding quickened into a useful lead with over a furlong to run to defeat Melanna by a length and a quarter. Owing to an electrical malfunction, just three of the stalls opened when this race was started first, but none of those runners got very far at all and the second start went off without a hitch.
“Patience had paid off with him at last. It looks like he’s just found his level,” declared Halford.
Abnormal
CAMELLIA Japonica was found to be clinically abnormal when finishing last in the handicap, won by Time To Reason, for which she started joint-favourite.
Acting Stewards
R. Dore, Mrs T.K. Cooper, M.C. Hickey, L. Reynolds, P.D. Matthews
Horse To Follow
AINTISARI (K.J. Condon): This filly looked as though she could improve considerably on her debut eighth in the maiden won by Noivado. She broke a little slowly but did finish her race in a promising manner and there could be a good deal better to come from her.