Isabeau shows plenty of pace on debut

The Michael O'Callaghan-trained Isabeau showed her rivals a clean pair of heels on her debut in the opener at Down Royal this afternoon.

Leigh Roche bounced his mount out in the five furlong contest and was soon disputing matters at the head of affairs.

The daughter of Cable Bay was asked to assert over a furlong from home and kept on well in the closing stages to record a length-and-a-half victory.

There was a bunch finish for second with Tinkerbells Effect getting up by a short-head ahead of Aqueliga with Kocasandra who had disputed for much, another short-head back in third.

The winner, racing in blinkers, cost €30,000 as a yearling.

O'Callaghan said:- "We put the blinkers on her because she wasn't doing a stroke at home and she was slow to come.

"I thought I would give her a run and educate her. I learned here before that you need to break well and you need a bit of experience and if you don't have experience a bit of headgear goes a long way up here. It has stood her well.

"She has just got a little bit lonely in front and she should improve a lot for the run. I'm delighted with that. Coming here I thought if she was placed I would have been happy."

On her entry in the Group Two Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh in June, he said: "She flashed home one day and we gave her a fancy entry and we'll see where we go.

"She might get an entry in the Ascot Sale and go to the Queen Mary, but she would need another run before going there. She is a smart, speedy filly. She has a lot of speed."

(Quotes by Michael Graham)