Teresa Mendoza delights Condon on debut

Teresa Mendoza showed plenty on debut to land the opening six-furlong maiden in the Curragh at 18/1 (backed in from 25s).

She chased the leaders who were well within striking range at the halfway stage, before being pushed along to close approaching the final quarter of a mile.

Her forward momentum took her alongside Monaasib racing to the final furlong, and she headed him with 200 yards to go.

She went on in the closing stages to score by a length and three quarters. Monaasib kept on for second at 16/1. Irish Chief was another two and three quarter lengths back in third at 9/4 having been prominent for a long way.

Ken Condon said: “She’s been a nice filly since she got here although we don’t have her a huge length of time. All her work has been very progressive and nice.

“She went through the race nicely and I’m sure she will improve from it. It’s nice to be able to come to the Curragh with a nice filly and for her to do that.

“She’s in the (Group 2) Balanchine here next week (July 19) so we’ll see how the week goes. That’s an indication of where we thought we might be but they have to go and do it between the white rails.

“From what she’s done at home we thought she was Stakes class and after that she warrants going in that direction. Shane (Foley) said she’d have no trouble going an extra furlong.

“Shane’s riding enough nice ones and he was quite taken with her.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee