IT wasn’t a performance with the same electricity as her sensational nine-and-a-half-length win in the Chesham Stakes, but Bedtime Story maintained her unbeaten record in the Group 3 Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes and created a little piece of history in the process.
A straightforward success by three and a half lengths over stablemate Exactly saw the Frankel filly become what is believed to be the shortest-priced winner Aidan O’Brien has ever trained at odds of 1/16.
The mount of Ryan Moore, representing Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor, is also thought to be the shortest-priced winner of an Irish group race on the flat since at least the turn of the millennium.
Speaking after the minimum-of-fuss victory, O’Brien said: “I’m delighted with her, Ryan [Moore] was delighted with her. He said she was very green and in an ideal world, he would have preferred the tempo to be quicker. He said he just came there and taught her. That’s exactly what we came here for, for education.
“Ryan said she’s very pacey and classy - I’d say you couldn’t go fast enough for her. To hear him saying that he never opened her up, that’s a good sign. I thought if she was well, she might go for the Debutante at the Curragh on the way to the Moyglare Stakes.”
Bedtime Story was left unchanged as 5/2 favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas with the Betfair Sportsbook.
Red-hot Fever
The result of the seven-furlong Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden for two-year-olds came with a much more dramatic shake-up to the market, as Kevin Coleman-trained newcomer Latin Fever defied a wide draw from stall 19 to score at 80/1.
Victory for the well-related Equiano filly didn’t come as a complete surprise to everyone, however. On-course layers for AK Bets say they were forced to pay out a cool €15,200 on a late €100 each-way bet struck at 125/1 just before the off.
Ridden by Mikey Sheehy, the promising half-sister to Group 3 winner Markaz Paname carried the colours of Adam Potts, Brian Sheerin and Danny O’Donovan, who purchased her for €27,000 as a yearling.
Potts said: “Everything went wrong, she had to overcome a bad draw and being kept on the wing the whole way - and then she got a bump turning in. I think class got her through. Her dam hasn’t missed and this was a gorgeous-looking filly at the sales, so we thought we’d chance her.”
JESSICA Harrington’s association with the Silverton Hill Partnership spans many years, and the same combination that provided the trainer with her first Group 1 success through Pathfork in 2010 could be heading for more top-level targets soon.
Hotazhell (10/3) confirmed the promise of a Curragh maiden win by showing a fine attitude to land the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes under Shane Foley, stretching a length and a half clear of Swagman to make it two wins in his first three starts.
The Too Darn Hot colt holds entries for the Futurity and National Stakes, but Harrington is looking forward to seeing him upped to a mile later this year.
“He’s a nice colt who quickened up well after they went a good old gallop all the way,” said Harrington.
“He’s tough and he’ll probably just have one more run this year. He had to do it the hard way because he had to go and catch the pacemaker and then go away from him. He’ll go a mile, probably even this year. I don’t think we’ll go to the National Stakes, I’d say we’ll wait for something over a mile in September.”
That wasn’t the only smart two-year-old colt that Harrington and Foley collected with on the night.
Impressive Impact
Green Impact put the experience of his debut Curragh second to good use when beating some promising newcomers by a length and a half in the seven-furlong Frank Conroy Irish EBF Maiden as 11/8 favourite.
Harrington said: “He’s a lovely, laidback horse, the first horse who [winning owner] Marc Chan has ever bred so he’s very excited. This is a big horse, and he’s probably a little bit on the weak side still. We’ll give him a bit of time and probably won’t be going anywhere in a hurry. There are plenty of mile races in the autumn. He’s going to get better. We’ve got two nice milers and we’ll keep them well apart!”
DUNDALK’S July 12th card proved a key meeting with a view to providing two winners on this smart Leopardstown card.
There was a pleasing step forward from the David Marnane-trained Tokenomics (9/2) in the tactically-run Dublin To Bahrain Handicap over nine furlongs, improving to score off 7lb higher than last time at Ireland’s only all-weather venue.
The mount of Luke McAteer, owned by the MRC International ownership group, is now expected to attempt another step up in class at York’s Ebor Festival after this success by a head over the front-running Shamsuddin, also a winner on the same Dundalk card earlier in the month.
Marnane said: “He’s a real nice horse who is obviously going the right way. He’s improved all the way through and loves a bit of decent ground.
“There’s a £100,000 handicap at York for him and that’s probably where he’ll go. I think the track will suit him, as well as a strongly-run mile because he has a turn of foot.”
Aeronautics on the up
Aeronautics (10/1) was the other recent Dundalk winner to follow up on the evening, picking up well to readily land the BoyleSports Best Odds Guaranteed Rated Race over a mile and five furlongs for Joseph O’Brien, Newtown Anner Stud Farm and Declan McDonogh.
The imposing three-year-old has now won two of his three starts and took the step up in trip from an extended mile and a quarter in his stride.
O’Brien said: “It was an impressive performance. He quickened up well and is a progressive horse. There was no hiding place today. It’s lovely to have a nice horse for the Newtown Anner team. I suppose he’s heading for stakes races now, or at least a good handicap.”
Isle on a roll
Co Louth-based trainer George Kingston got on the scoresheet in the concluding Hipodromo De La Zarzuela Madrid Handicap over a mile and seven furlongs courtesy of a second consecutive win for 12/1 shot Sceptred Isle.
The seven-year-old mare had been winless in her first 24 starts for previous connections but continued her progress from winning at Tipperary last time, and collected by half a length under Chris Hayes for owner Noel Nugent.
Kingston said: “The ground was only just soft enough and thankfully she stayed the trip.
“We took our time and she got up in spite of the ground. It was a very good ride by Chris, as usual from him. I feel a bit sorry for Siobhan [Rutledge], who won on her last time and was suspended today.”