A Lilac Rolla maintains unbeaten record with photo verdict

A Lilac Rolla followed up her debut success, in doing so keeping her unbeaten record intact, when getting up close home under Billy Lee to land the ARC American Racing Channel Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile Race at the Curragh.

Given that her trainers debutants tend to improve from their initial run, the fact the daughter of Harry Angel was forward enough to go in at the first time of asking at Cork last month clearly marked her down as a smart filly.

Billy Lee kept it simple here, tracking Opera Singer in second, before delivering his challenge at the furlong pole. At that point, the pair, who carried 4lb penalties as previous winners, settled down to battle it out inside the last 200 yards.

It was only in the dying strides that A Lilac Rolla got up to win by a head but in another stride both fillies would have been beaten by Chris Hayes on the fast finishing Red Viburnum

Winning trainer Paddy Twomey said: “She probably learned a lot the first day. The trainer was a bit worried about the seven furlongs but the owner assured me that the dam had won over ten and the jockey said she got it well.

“She hasn't done a lot since the last day. The plan had been the sales race on Champions Weekend and I figured more experience was no harm for that.

“I thought that giving 7lb to talented unraced fillies was a big ask for her. I thought you'd have to be stakes level to do it and I hope she is now.

“Her plans might get upgraded. It's a 300 grand race but black-type is forever if she can get it.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson