THE exciting Statuette made it two wins from as many starts in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes over six furlongs to have plans turning to the pivotal juvenile fillies’ races much later in the season.

This imposing daughter of Justify looked a huge talent when scoring on her debut at Navan in late May and confirmed that impression with a performance that can be rated better than the bare result.

Pressure

The 4/6 favourite started to come under pressure from Ryan Moore to close down the leaders inside the last quarter of a mile. Without being asked for everything, she got on top in the closing stages for a three-quarters of a length success over Badb although one was left with the impression that Moore had plenty left to call upon if required.

“She’s a very big filly and we’ve been training her three-quarters ready with a view to later in the season,” remarked O’Brien.

“It was a bit of a worry with the ground going soft but Ryan nursed her along and her class got her through. Later in the season we’d be looking at the likes of the Moyglare and Cheveley Park. She’s not as precocious as normal for a filly running at this time of year but she has so much class she is able to do it.”

O’Brien and Moore ended the day with a double as the 86-rated Cougar (10/11) made all in the ARIONEO Irish EBF Maiden over 10 furlongs.

Fresh from a good second in the Ulster Derby, Cougar dominated this race from the front under Ryan Moore and his last couple of furlongs was his strongest as he pulled away to hit the line with seven lengths to spare.

Believe in Lee

A day of days for Billy Lee yielded further cheer and a second winner in as many days for Wille McCreery and Ballylinch Stud as Self Belief (12/1) made a winning debut in the Barberstown Castle Irish EBF Median Auction Maiden over a mile.

This gelded son of Make Believe broke a little slower than some of his rivals but steadily worked his way through the pack before Lee produced him with an unfaltering last furlong challenge that enabled him to see off the favourite Paris Peacock by a length and three parts.

“His mother loved soft ground and I was pleased to see the ground easing since Saturday,” said the trainer. “He’s a lovely horse who we have been patient with and I could see him progressing into a stakes horse in time.”

JOHNNY Feane and Jamie Powell have forged quite a partnership this season and they secured their second six-figure pot in eight days as the highly progressive and well-backed Ano Syra (15/2-9/2) landed the Paddy Power Rockingham Handicap.

Now a winner of four of her last five races and 18lbs higher than when notching up her first handicap success at Naas, the Charlotte Musgrave-owned daughter of Kodiac looks ready to take her place in stakes company on this evidence.

This five-furlong dash was run in a deluge and from out of the gloom Jamie Powell produced her with a sustained burst on the near side to touch off Big Gossey in the closing strides.

“I think Jamie has had eight rides for me this season and he’s ridden five winners, two seconds and a fourth which isn’t too bad,” said Feane. “I’m just very grateful for James and Charlotte for sending her to us and I must also thank Kevin Manning who has done a lot of the work with her.

“We had hoped that she would be up to getting blacktype later in the year and she looks like a stakes filly after that. I know she had a light weight but it’s not easy for a three-year-old filly taking on these older sprinters.”

Powell double

A great day for Jamie Powell got under way when Coumshingaun (10/1) continued an impressive season for Kevin Coleman in the Sherry Fitzgerald Country Homes Handicap over six furlongs.

After sitting in behind the trail blazers, the daughter of Fastnet Rock eased to the front around two furlongs from home and she soon had this race in safe keeping, eventually reaching the line just under two lengths ahead of Nordic Passage.

“We thought she could be a stakes filly last year and she’s bred to want a mile plus but she wasn’t getting home over longer trips and she’s a different filly since we dropped her back to six furlongs,” declared Coleman who trains the winner for his mother, Eileen.

HMS Seahorse

is in full sail

THE easiest winner of the weekend was supplied by Paul Nolan as HMS Seahorse bolted up in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ragusa Handicap over a mile-and-a-half.

The former Ballydoyle inmate progressed into a decent juvenile hurdler for the Nolan team last season and on his return to the flat he confirmed the promise he showed in several good placed efforts for Aidan O’Brien in the first part of the 2021 season.

From some way out here nothing was going better than the Chris Hayes-ridden son of Galileo and the 13/2 shot eased through to lead over two furlongs from home before a bloodless six and a half lengths victory over Phoenix Cowboy.

“Some horses handle these conditions and some don’t but he did and he’s a right little horse. John Halley had bought him out of Ballydoyle at the horses in training sale in Newmarket and we bought after seeing him school here,” declared the trainer’s brother James.

“John is a good pal of ours and he recommended him to us and it’s worked great. I’d say he fits the bill for the Galway Hurdle and Chris said maybe we could come back here for the Irish Cesarewitch in September.

Stylish Regal

Killian Leonard’s first winner of the season arrived in style as he teamed up with the promising newcomer Proud And Regal to land the Barronstown Stud Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden ofor the Coolmore partners.This traditionally strong seven-furlong event lost a couple of very interesting contestants due to the ground, notably Auguste Rodin.

The 16/1 chance put himself into contention with around two furlongs to run and showed a lovely attitude over the course of the last furlong to get to the front and then hold the eye-catching Tiverton by three-quarters of a length.“He’s quite green and I was expecting him to improve plenty from this run. He’ll step into stakes company now,” reflected Donnacha O’Brien whose charge is an own-brother to the smart Mekong River.