Letter delivers for Shanahan & O'Shea

Letterfromamerica sprang a 16/1 surprise as she took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction Maiden under Tadgh O’Shea for Pat Shanahan. The daughter of American stallion Ghostzapper finished last of nine on her debut at Chester in May, before finishing sixth to Exogenesis at Fairyhouse last month. Those two runs were over six furlongs and stepped up in trip by a furlong this evening, she raced in second for most of the contest behind the well-backed 9/4 favourite (opened on-course at 7/2) Harlem Shake Gary Carroll kicked on aboard that Ger Lyons trained colt towards the end of the back straight and he was a few lengths clear as they turned for home. Letterfromamerica respond well to pressure though, and she got to the front two furlongs out, staying on well from there to score by two and a quarter lengths with the ‘jolly’ having to settle for second while I’vegotafeeling was a further neck back in third under Billy Lee for Charlie Swan at 6/1. Pat Shanahan said afterwards: "She finally did what I thought she was capable of. "She works seriously well at home but she had been disappointing up until now. "Her head is probably just coming right." The winner cost $30,000 US Dollars at Keeneland in September of last year and she is half-sister to London Bridge who won his last three for Jo Hughes in the UK. She is also out of a half-sister to Magical Fantasy who won four times at the highest level in America. Additional reporting by Alan Magee