Tarnawa boosted the Oaks claims of Pink Dogwood with a gutsy victory in the Irish National Stud Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind Stakes at Naas on Saturday.

Dermot Weld has farmed the race over the years and he was winning it for the fourth time since 2012 as Tarnawa nailed the odds-on favourite Who’s Steph in the dying strides.

Who’s Steph attempted to make all the running as she was backing up quickly having only won six days ago, but she was pestered on the front end throughout by Aidan O’Brien’s Delphinia.

Having eventually seen off that Ballydoyle filly, Who’s Steph looked sure to collect only for Chris Hayes to launch one final challenge on Tarnawa (4/1) and she prevailed by a neck.

While O’Brien was out of luck with his two runners – Peach Tree finished just behind the principals – he will have been partly pleased with the result as Pink Dogwood had Tarnawa back in third on her seasonal return to action.

“It was a good performance by her. I thought she’d be hard to beat today,” said Weld. “She’s tough, genuine and stays well. We’ll see how she comes out of the race before making a decision about where she goes next. Epsom may be a possibility.

“The second is a very good filly and it was a good classic trial, but we’ll just see how she comes out of the race before making any decision where she goes.

“It’s a lovely race to win. Blue Wind was a very special filly. She did the Oaks double for me, she was very impressive when she won the Epsom Oaks and then came back and won at the Curragh for us as well.”

It completed a good week for Weld, Hayes and the Aga Khan, who teamed up to win the Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh on Monday with Shelir.

KEANE TREBLE

Colin Keane, narrowly denied in the feature race aboard Who's Steph, won three other races on the day.

His first success came aboard the Ger Lyons-trained two-year-old debutant Siskin in the six-furlong two-year-race. This colt by First Defence races in the silks of Khalid Abdulla.

Keane teamed up with the Noel Meade-trained Dadoozart (14/1) to win the 10-furlong three-year-old race, defeating the Aidan O'Brien-trained South Pacific comfortably.

The jockey's third success came in the closing six-furlong handicap, Keane partnering Twenty Minutes (14/1) for trainer Damian English.

Fozzy Stack saddled the first two home in the premier handicap for three-year-olds, also over six furlongs. Empire Line (5/1) looked sure to win for Stack and 10lb claimer Michael O'Connor entering the final furlong but they were worn down close home by stable companion Woody Creek (12/1), ridden by Andrew Slattery.

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