WILLIE McCreery has lots to look forward to with Insinuendo who graduated to pattern class with flying colours to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Blue Wind Stakes and give the trainer a second Group 3 triumph of the season.
This sparingly campaigned four-year-old was making just the third appearance of her career and was taking a significant step up in distance to a mile-and-a-quarter following a good third over an extended seven furlongs in a Tipperary conditions race last month.
Declan McDonogh, who was standing in for suspended stable jockey Billy Lee, rode a perfect waiting race on the daughter of Gleneagles.
The 15/2 chance came from off the pace to make her bid heading into the last couple of furlongs at which point Willow and Thunder Kiss were battling it out. That pair couldn’t match the strong-finishing winner who got to the front and kept on well to prevail by three-quarters of a length. Thunder Kiss took second two and a half lengths in front of Willow.
“All credit to her owners Michael Deegan and his wife Dympna. I was keen to run in a listed race at Gowran on Wednesday but Michael felt this race could cut up and said we’d roll the dice so I’m delighted for them,” said McCreery.
“She’s a good filly and ran very well over a trip short of her best last time. A good pace here helped her to settle and we’ll keep going in all these fillies’ races.”
Another horse who could be set for an industrious few months is the Joseph O’Brien-trained Benaud (11/1) who was a ready winner of the three-year-old rated race over a mile-and-a-quarter.
Shane Crosse produced the son of Australia, who carries the colours of Paul Smith, from off the pace to defeat the 94-rated Baton Rouge by one and three-quarter lengths and this gelding has evidently progressed well since winning a Leopardstown nursery at the end of last season.
“He’s a big horse and enjoyed the step-up to that trip. Shane said they went quick and that the horse travelled well and kept picking up. I think he could go to Ascot now,” reported the trainer’s representative Brendan Powell.
Reliable Esperanza
The ultra-reliable Mi Esperanza (4/1), who had finished no worse than third on her last five starts, enjoyed a deserved change of luck when landing the Quinns Of Baltinglass & Castletown Press Business Club Handicap.
Shane Foley’s mount led the stand’s side group from early on and she stuck to her task in determined fashion over the course of the last furlong to defeat Pretty Smart by half a length for owner E. Garcia.
Andrew Kinsella was looking towards running his charge back at Navan this afternoon.
Lordan in tip-top treble
IT was quite a day for Wayne Lordan who reeled off a treble which began when Aidan O’Brien’s juvenile newcomer King Of Bavaria defied a lack of market confidence in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over the minimum trip.
The son of No Nay Never, who was returned at 7/1, looked quite professional as he travelled well on the pace.
He began to get on top nearing the last furlong and sustained his effort to score by three-quarters of a length from Silver Surfer with the odds-on Celtic Times a further half-length back in third.
“He jumped a tad slow but he recovered quickly and he has plenty of pace. He was a bit green in the last furlong which he was entitled to be but you’d like the way he got to the line,” reported Lordan.
O’Brien and Lordan then added to their haul as the odds-on Montego Bay (4/7) availed of a good opportunity in the fillies’ maiden over seven furlongs.
The three-year-old daughter of No Nay Never was turning out again quickly following a second to Pale Iris in a fillies’ handicap at the Curragh on Monday and was clearly none the worse.
The 81-rated filly took charge inside the last furlong for a straight-forward two and a quarter-length victory over Elanora.
Nutz flies home
The treble was completed by Sheila Lavery’s Half Nutz (11/1) who came from out of the clouds to win the sprint handicap over just short of six furlongs.
The Woodfarm Racing Syndicate-owned four-year-old had most of the field to pass after halfway but he was unleashed with a tremendous surge over the last furlong and a half and he swept to the front late in the day to edge out Blairmayne by half a length.
The four-year-old was giving Sheila Lavery her first winner of the season.
PALE Iris is evidently a filly going places fast as she followed up a win in a decent Curragh handicap five days previously by capturing the €40,000 Irish Racing Writers Handicap over six furlongs.
The Joe Murphy-trained daughter of Dragon Pulse was once again ridden by Gary Carroll and she found herself with most of the field to pass a quarter of a mile out. When she got going though she did so in great style and, after closing to get on terms with the strong-travelling favourite Notoriously Risky, she found more to prevail by three-parts of a length.
“I think she’s a proper filly and she quickened twice there – Gary couldn’t believe it. She’s really good and we’ll now make an entry for her in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot,” reported a delighted Murphy whose charge carries the colours of Crampscastle Bloodstock.
Bolger’s Speech
Jim Bolger’s tremendous form continued as Freedom Of Speech (9/2) put the benefit of her two previous runs this season to good use in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race over just short of six furlongs.
The Jackie Bolger-owned daughter of Australia, who was third to Contarelli Chapel last time, produced a brave effort as she raced on the pace throughout for Kevin Manning.
She was strongly pressed by the newcomers Lopes Gold and Pinar Del Rio but fought on well to defeat the first-named by three-quarters of a length.
“She’ll step up to stakes level now and she will move up in trip as well. Her previous experience helped and she was very courageous,” reported the trainer’s daughter, Una.