Donnacha O’Brien’s Yosemite Valley battled hard to take the Lester Piggott Gladness Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
Too good! ??
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The Donnacha O'Brien-trained Yosemite Valley was by no means the best treated in the Listed Gladness Stakes but he's shown near career-best form to land the feature in quite taking style.
There could easily be more to come from this son of Shamardal.@curraghrace pic.twitter.com/RsJAMDi16I
The colt is well versed when it comes to racing at the track, finishing second to Little Big Bear in the Anglesey Stakes as a juvenile and was having his fifth outing there from just seven in all.
He started this season off at Cork in Listed company, finishing second but looked a different proposition this time.
On returning to the Curragh the four-year-old was a 3/1 chance upped to seven furlongs and was a comfortable winner under Gavin Ryan when crossing the line two and three-quarter lengths ahead of 7/4 favourite Jumbly.
“It was a good performance. I always thought he was a proper horse but he was unlucky a few times,” said O’Brien.
“He ran well in Cork the last day and the step up to seven seemed to suit him. It’s nice to get a stakes win into him.
“He could get away with a stiff six, but he travelled so well there today and all the big seven-furlong races will be open to him.”
Of future plans the trainer added: “There is the Maurice de Gheest over six and a half in France. Whether he’s up to that level I don’t know but I’d like to give him a shot at it to see.
“The Greenlands is here in about a month but that is back to six. A stiff six could be an option or we might give him a little break and aim for seven furlongs in France.”
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