Opera Singer hits the high notes on second start

The Aidan O'Brien trained Opera Singer stepped up markedly from her first outing when keeping on strongly to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown.

Eight of 12 on her racecourse debut at the Curragh last month, that form already received a boost earlier on this card with the sixth horse Caught U Looking also running out an easy maiden winner.

Ryan Moore was content to sit back and track the pace here, delivering the eventual winner with a challenge over 2f out. The pair headed stablemate Enthralling over 200 yards out, with a third Ballydoyle filly Andromeda keeping on nicely to finish second.

“She's progressed nicely from her first run. It looked a well above average maiden that she ran in first time at the Curragh with the filly earlier coming out of the same race,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong.

“She's a filly with plenty of class and Seamus liked her the first day. Ryan felt she had come forward nicely. There is plenty of improvement still in her, she had a good blow afterwards.

“She's a filly to look forward to for the rest of the year, she's in the Debutante.

“Something like the Flame Of Tara over a mile could suit her. She's a filly that will stay well next year, she'll be a nice middle distance filly as a three-year-old.

“She'll step up into stakes company next time, the Flame Of Tara looks the logical step at the moment.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson