Yosemite makes stakes breakthrough in Gladness

The Donnacha O'Brien-trained Yosemite Valley quickened up in fine style in the closing stages to land the Lester Piggot Gladness Stakes at the Curragh this afternoon. Henry Adams cut out the running in the seven-furlong Listed contest but folded tamely when headed a furlong-and-a-half from home. Mutasarref had come to lead then but was trumped a furlong out as Jumbly and Yosemite Valley came to fight it out.

It was the latter, under Gavin Ryan, who started to pull away in the closing stages to post a convincing two-and-three-quarter length win at odds of 3/1 (9/2 this morning).

The Shamardal colt, a half-brother to Irish Derby runner-up Piz Badile, was stepping back up in trip today having chased home Easy in Listed company over six furlongs at Cork late last month.

O’Brien said:- “It was a good performance. I always thought he was a proper horse but he was unlucky a few times.

“He ran well in Cork the last day and the step up to seven seemed to suit him. It’s nice to get a stakes win into him.

“He could get away with a stiff six, but he travelled so well there today and all the big seven-furlong races will be open to him.

“There is the Maurice de Gheest over six and a half in France. Whether he’s up to that level I don’t know but I’d like to give him a shot at it to see.

“The Greenlands is here in about a month but that is back to six. A stiff six could be an option or we might give him a little break and aim for seven furlongs in France.”

(Quotes by Alan Magee)