THE classy Turret Rocks took advantage of her first drop down to listed company for 13 months in the rescheduled Irish Stallion Farms EBF Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes, which looks to have set her for a return to a higher level.
Already a Group 2 and Group 3 winner, the five-year-old was dropping in class having finished a creditable fourth in the Middleton Stakes at York last time and she was the 13/8 favourite to give Jim Bolger his first win in this race since Banimpire in 2011.
Kevin Manning sent the June Judd-owned daughter of Fastnet Rock straight into the lead for this extended nine-furlong event. The pair were never headed but the victory wasn’t without a share of drama.
Entering the last furlong the strong-travelling Clear Skies went for a run through on the inside of Turret Rocks but the leader closed that gap. The unlucky Clear Skies then switched out to challenge but she could only get to within three-parts of a length despite Turret Rocks drifting out to her left as the line loomed. A reasonably lengthy stewards’ enquiry followed but the placings remained unchanged.
“Hopefully there are some good days in her yet, we’ll keep her well entered up,” said Bolger. “She entered at Ascot and after that there is Derby Weekend (Pretty Polly Stakes) although I’d prefer to go a mile and a half with her.”
O’BRIEN TREBLE
Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien joined forces for a treble. They struck first when Rapture’s Delight (9/4), whose career began with placed runs in useful events at Dundalk and Navan in recent weeks, got his turn in the seven-furlong maiden.
The Sun Bloodstock-owned son of Invincible Spirit, who hails from the family of Urban Sea and her many distinguished descendants, got into the clear inside the last quarter of a mile and he finished out well to deny the front running Take A Nap in the closing strides.
“He had a lovely run the first day and then we went a mile and a quarter with him at Navan which was the wrong thing to do as he was too keen,” reflected Joseph O’Brien. “He’ll probably step into a handicap now. He likes nice ground but he’s by Invincible Spirit so he might handle it a bit easier too.”
It was then the turn of Pedisnap (4/1) in the second division of the 45-65 rated seven-furlong handicap. The John Farrell-owned and bred filly, who made an encouraging debut for her yard coming home third at Killarney last month, finished out her race in good style as she still had plenty to do as the last furlong loomed. Pedisnap crossed the line with three-parts of a length to spare over Althib.
“She’d a nice run the last day and I thought that she’d go close today. I actually won on her dam (Snap Alam) in Wexford a few years ago. She’ll go for another one of these handicaps,” reported the trainer.
The progressive Rockfish(5/2) brought up the treble as he made it three wins from his last four starts in the three-year-old 45-65 rated handicap. The Justin Carthy-owned gelding was 9lbs higher for a recent win at Cork but he continues to keep pace with his rise up the weights. He got on top in the closing stages to see off Just Sherry by half a length.
Joseph O’Brien disclosed: “He’s very competitive in this grade and it’s not easy for any horse to win three times in a season. He might even get a bit further than this nine and a half furlongs and he will be going juvenile hurdling later in the summer.”
WELD DOUBLE
It was also a good evening for Dermot Weld as he brought up a double which concluded with a taking debut success for Romiyna (5/2) in the mile and a half fillies’ maiden. The very well related daughter of Nathaniel is owned by the Aga Khan and looks well up to stakes level on this evidence. She got to the front for Leigh Roche with around a quarter of a mile to run and she maintained a relentless tempo to defeat Queen Iseult by half a dozen lengths.
“She’s a nice filly. She’s still immature but hopefully she’ll make up into a stakes filly for us this season. That was very pleasing, she will progress and she’s a strong stayer. The Oaks Trial at Naas might be a suitable race for her,” commented Weld.
Earlier, the Rosewell House trainer’s four-year-old Sorelle Delle Rose made short work of her opponents in the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap. The 5/4 favourite had to shoulder top weight but that burden was negated by Oisin Orr’s 5lb claim.
She produced a display that would bode well for her prospects at a higher level. The Moyglare Stud-owned daughter of Dark Angel led well over a furlong from home for an assured three-length triumph over Wild As The Wind.
Weld said: “She did what we hoped she would do and she might now head for the fillies’ premier handicap on Derby weekend.”
SURPRISE
A 20/1 surprise was lying in wait in the first division of the 45-65 handicap as Jarlath Fahey’s Clonville took a marked step forward on the form of her previous seven outings. In the colours of the trainer’s wife, Suzanne, the four-year-old broke alertly to race prominently from the outset. Ronan Whelan’s mount then kept on bravely for the duration of the straight to hold Full Shilling by a neck.
“The ground had turned against her the last day she ran and she was happier on this surface. She’s a gutsy, straightforward filly and Jarlath has done a good job with her,” reported the winning rider.
Circling Moon (8/1) made a winning debut for Johnny Murtagh as he bagged the concluding mile and a half 45-65 rated handicap under Shane Foley. In a race where very few of the runners got involved, the four-year-old son of Lope De Vega led with over a furlong to run and he kept on well to defeat Trump Card by three parts of a length.
Murtagh explained: “We don’t have him that long and his owner Paddy (Woods) rides him out most mornings. We thought that he’d win one of these. He stays well and the mile and a half and good ground suited him.”
ACTING STEWARDS
N.P. Lambert, M.J. Murphy, P.F. Myerscough, R. Macauley, L .Walsh
HORSE TO FOLLOW
QUEEN ISEULT (A.P. O’Brien): On her second start of the season, she ran quite respectably to chase home Romiyna in the fillies’ maiden. The winner looks very smart and this filly shouldn’t have any trouble making her mark in a maiden in due course.