Mizzava outpoints Causeway half-sister

The Etihad Airways Irish 1,000 Guineas is a possibility for Mizzava who stepped up considerably from her debut at Dundalk last October to take the three-year-old fillies maiden at Limerick.

The unconsidered 25/1 chance (paid €86.10 on the Tote) made steady headway to challenge inside the final furlong, and stayed on best in the closing stages under Shane Foley to beat the uneasy 9/10 favourite Hanky Panky by three-quarters-of-a-length.

Hanky Panky, a Galileo half-sister to Giant’s Causeway, sweated up quite a bit beforehand and was also probably unsuited by the rain-softened conditions. However she still looked sure to score when smoothly joining issue over a furlong out.

But the Ballydoyle-trained filly found disappointingly little when Joseph O’Brien showed her the whip inside the final furlong. Lady Giselle (16/1) kept on into third another two lengths back.

Winning trainer Michael Halford said, “On her first run at Dundalk she needed it and she was a bit lost around there. Niall (McCullagh) said wherever she’d run next she’d run well. I was a bit worried she might be caught out by lack of fitness as she’s a bit lazy at home.

“She’s smart enough and holds an entry in the 1,000 Guineas. There will be worse than her in it!”

Riders report the ground to be very testing and holding.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes