IT was third time lucky for French import Oujda as she took the Darley Irish EBF Brigid’s Pastures Stakes at the Curragh last Saturday.

The Sioux Nation filly had shaped with promise on two previous outings for trainer Johnny Murtagh and grabbed listed honours for his wife Orla in the six-furlong contest.

She raced prominently throughout for Shane Foley and gained a narrow lead inside the final furlong to beat front-runner Ano Syra by half a length.

The 10/1 winner had finished sixth behind My Mate Alfie in Group 3 company over course and distance the previous weekend and Foley said afterwards: “She ran well last week, she travelled well and they just quickened away from her, it was probably a stronger race.

“We changed tactics a bit today and rode her forward, she enjoyed it. She’s a strong traveller and stays well.

“I’d say that’s a good trip for her and I’d say when she gets proper slow ground there could even be a little bit of improvement as well.”

Benson strikes again

Georgie Benson enhanced a terrific record at the Curragh when taking the Newbridge Silverware Ladies Trophy for the second year running.

The 7lb claimer gave Polemon a confident ride, coming on the outer to lead over a furlong from home and post a length-and-three-quarters victory on the Denis Hogan-trained 5/1 shot.

The winning rider said afterwards: “Denis said to keep a hold of him and keep filling him up, so I did that.

“To be honest I thought I nearly got there too soon but he just took me everywhere. He’s in brilliant form and I’d say he’d go round again.

“I don’t mind it around here. I had a close second in the Ladies Derby this year so it was nice to get my head back in front.

“It’s the home of racing really and it’s a good track when you know how to ride it. I feel like it’s riding a bit of work around here now!”

ON a busy weekend for Ballydoyle, Wayne Lordan kept the home fires burning with an opening race double.

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for colts and geldings produced a bunch finish with Expanded getting up late on to pip stablemate First Wave in a one-two for sire Wootton Bassett.

It was a debut success for the half-brother to Henry Adams and stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “He’s got loads of class and the penny only dropped late but he got up at the right time.

“He’s still very raw and when he puts everything together, he’s going to be a smashing colt.

“We’ll take him home and see whether he has another run this year or whether we put him away for next year. He’s going to be a horse to look forward to.”

Smooth performance

Giselle was already prominent in the classic betting for next season ahead of her run in the fillies’ maiden and produced a smooth performance to open her account.

The Frankel filly, second to stablemate Bedtime Story on debut, went to post a 1/2 shot and travelled stylishly throughout the seven-furlong contest.

Lordan asked his mount to stretch clear passing the furlong pole and she was always holding the late charge of The Palace Girl by three-parts of a length.

Armstrong said: “Obviously there is a fair bit of hype about her from the last day and you can see today that she has come on a lot physically.

“Coming here she was only just ready to start and she was a little bit fresh in herself. Wayne said she was only half speeding the whole way and she wasn’t too fresh throughout the run.

“We’ll see about possibly getting one more run into her, we’ll see how she comes through this.

“She’s one to look forward to next year. All being well she’ll rock up in all the big fillies’ races.”

Lismacbryan springs big shock

THE biggest-priced winner of the day came in the Gormley’s Gallery Handicap when Lismacbryan came with a strong surge to land the six-furlong contest at 40/1.

Rory Cleary got a good tune from the Kuroshio filly as she rounded the field in the final furlong to get up and secure a head victory over Saturn Seven.

Winning trainer Patrick Magee said afterwards: “She’s learning on the job. She had a lovely run the other day (in Bellewstown) and we’re running out of time so I said we’d let her go again.

“The horses are running well now so we need to be running them. We were quiet enough all year and everyone has been patient, it’s paying off now thank God.”

In the other sprint handicap on the card Apache Outlaw got back into the winner’s enclosure to bag his third success since joining Ado McGuinness.

The Churchill gelding travelled well for Adam Caffrey in the five-furlong heat and hit the front inside the final furlong to record a half-length win over the fast-finishing Thunderbear.

Caffrey said of the 11/2 winner: “We were off a nice weight today and he loves that ground, a little bit of an ease in it – beautiful ground.

“He travelled really well, probably a lot better than any of his five and six furlong runs. He was on form today and he’s won well.”

Coyle finds Power

There were €20,000 prize funds for all the handicaps on the card and Thomas Coyle’s plan came off to perfection with Selective Power in the concluding Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Handicap.

James Ryan led under two furlongs from home in the mile contest and his mount held on late on by a head from Hale Bopp to secure victory at odds of 12/1.

“The plan after Galway (finished third) was to come here because of the good pot,” said Coyle.

“Fair play to the Curragh, for a small trainer like me to run for 20 grand is a big thing.

“I actually really fancied him, I thought at the furlong pole he was going to come home on his own.

Confident

“James has done two pieces of work with him in the last week and we were confident.

“My dad hasn’t been well and he actually shouldn’t be here as he’s had treatment but we expected him nearly to win so it was hard to keep him away!”

In the preceding apprentice handicap over the same trip Presence turned out again quickly to run out a convincing winner.

The Jessica Harrington-trained filly led over a furlong from home, under Keithen Kennedy, before securing a convincing three-and-a-quarter length win.

Kennedy said of the 7/4 favourite: “She was good, she relaxed well for me and we got a lovely tow into the race.

“The track didn’t really suit her in Bellewstown (two days ago), she got a bit unbalanced coming down over the road and it probably didn’t help her but she was she was good there today.”