Carrigmoornaspruce shows smart turn of foot in the bumper

Carrigmoornaspruce confirmed the promise of her debut second at the Listowel Festival when going one better in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race at Naas.

The 5/2 chance, trained and ridden by Declan Queally, made headway from off the pace in the straight and quickened up nicely inside the final furlong to beat Galileo Springs by two and a half lengths.

The 8/11 favourite Lau And Shaz travelled smoothly to challenge over two furlongs out but couldn’t find any extra inside the final 150 yards finishing a further half a length away in third.

Queally said, “I was cursing myself when I seen Dec (Lavery, on the favourite) following the leader as there was no real middle pace in the race.

“I was trapped back further than I wanted to be, and I said I'd just have to sit and suffer and see how it goes.

“I just made my ground slowly and got a small little slit turning in. I was a long way off the pace still but to be fair to her she got me out of a hole.

“I was too far back but she's obviously a good filly. She's owned by two gentleman, Micky Veale and Tom McCarthy so it's mighty for them.”

Quotes by Gary Carson