GOLDRUSH was by far the most expensive of the 131 runners on show on this mammoth eight-race card, and the regally bred €1.7 million filly made an impressive if belated debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
By Frankel and out of Alexander Goldrun, who won five times for Jim Bolger at Group 1 level, she was purchased at the Goffs Orby Sale by the China Horse Club but has been sidelined until now by “small little problems”.
Kevin Manning sent the blue-blooded three-year-old to the front two furlongs out in this mile event, and the easy-to-back 6/1 shot was well on top inside the final furlong to beat Wooster by three lengths.
“It’s always nice to win with a filly as well-bred as she is. She has been working well but we’ve had a few little hiccups along the way,” said Bolger before adding “She was a bit weak last year so we didn’t run her, and a few times we had her ready to run this year and she had small little problems, nothing serious.
“She was declared to run a few times and she got rained off one day. She doesn’t want soft ground but she handled that (yielding, good in places) well today so she might handle a little ease in it. Hopefully she will go on now and be a stakes filly.”
The feature race was the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery and Blue Uluru took the majority of the €40,000 prize-money and landed a gamble into the bargain. As big as 7/1 in the morning and supported on track from 3/1 into 2/1 favourite, the daughter of Choisir raced keenly to challenge and was driven out by Colin Keane inside the final furlong to beat Red Persian by a length and three-quarters.
Winning trainer Ger Lyons said: “One of the owners, Amy Vaughan King, flew in from Texas to see her run at the Curragh the last day. The ground was wrong but we let her run. On another day we probably would have withdrawn her but she learned plenty from it and got her mark. Amy’s partner, Nicky Varney, is based in New York.
“The aim is to go for blacktype as she is owner-bred but she just has to learn to switch off a tad more. She is just too honest, and hopefully she will be a lovely filly next year. She will probably go for the Blenheim Stakes.”
Aidan O’Brien found a good opportunity for Intelligence Cross to open his seasonal account in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race, and he duly justified odds of 8/13 in convincing fashion. The War Front colt asserted a furlong out to beat Mr Scarlet by two and three-quarter lengths in the hands of Donnacha O’Brien, who said: “He’s a group-class sprinter and in a lower grade today was able to show his class. That win will do him a world of good confidence wise.”
The 5/2 favourite Sunday Smart refused to enter the stalls for the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Maiden, and Powersville took most advantage, leading about 100 yards out for Niall McCullagh to beat Stewardess by a length and a quarter.
“She has learned as she went along in her races. I’ll try to get some blacktype with her and could look at the Blenheim. She only cost €2,500 so she owes us nothing now,” said Tom Mullins, who trains the 4/1 winner for his wife, Helen.
Doonard Prince has proved a great servant to connections and recorded his seventh career win in the Sequence Events Handicap at Navan. The 12/1 chance led well inside the final furlong under Killian Leonard to beat Brave Display by three-quarters of a length.
“He’s eight years old and that’s his seventh win. He won three for Liz Doyle and we bought him for John (Bowden) on the recommendation of Dave Keena,” said trainer Ross O’Sullivan. “He’s a real fun horse that always runs his race and these horses are so hard to find. He loves a straight course so Navan, the Curragh and Naas are his key tracks. There is another race back here in about four weeks’ time, and there is one left at Naas. A straight six really suits him.”
Lucca (7/1), trained by Jarlath Fahey for Caroline Mills, recorded his third win in just over two months when swooping late under Ronan Whelan to collar favourite High Expectations in the final strides of the Like Navan On Facebook Handicap.
“At places in the race we thought we were going nowhere but he stuck it out well and Ronan gave him a great ride. He’s a good old battler and stuck his head out all the way to the line. We will probably bring him to Listowel for a 50-80 handicap over one mile and four furlongs if the ground is anyway in his favour. The easy side of good really suits him.”
The Last Indian appeared to have a mountain to climb early in the straight in division one of the Gormanlough Handicap but showed an impressive turn of foot for Pat Smullen to come from nearly last to first and, amazingly, won by nearly four lengths.
The well-backed 3/1 favourite is trained for Margaret Miley by Aidan Howard, who said: “She was drawn on the outer and we decided to take our time and he gave her a great ride. She is very honest and could go to Listowel for a mile handicap.”
Division two of the one mile, two-furlong event provided trainer Paddy Hassett, a vet in Quinn, Co Clare, with his first flat winner as Happy Company (8/1) led two furlongs out and kept on well for Daniel Redmond to beat Snap Click by a length and a quarter. Liam McAteer heads the successful Parkview Bloodstock Syndicate with his wife Bernie, and said: “Paddy’s son Garrett, who is married to my daughter Pamela, rides him out all the time and deserves a lot of credit.
“I bought him as a foal to sell as a yearling and couldn’t sell him. He’s given us a lot of fun, and we have a group of American friends with us today which is great. He’ll probably go next for a similar handicap at Galway.”
ACTING STEWARDS
R. Dore, T. Hunt, W. Flood, P. Caffrey, H. Hynes.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
GOOD MARKS (T. Mullins): She lost ground at the start after being upset in the stalls but came home strongly inside the final furlong in the Auction Maiden. Looks capable of winning a similar event.