Brooch makes it two from two Brooch made it two from two at Killarney this evening as she took the feature race, the Listed Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes, completing a double on the card for Pat Smullen, Dermot Weld and owner Prince Khalid Abdullah (won the first with Postulation). The American bred daughter of Empire Maker impressed on her debut at Galway last month when winning easily by nine and a half lengths. She was widely expected to follow-up this evening and having started at 13/8 last night she went odds-on this morning (when Flight Risk came out) before going off the clear 8/11 favourite. Settled in mid-division she was ridden a furlong and a half from home and it wasn’t until inside the final furlong that she really got going, hitting the front inside the final 50 yards before going on to score by a length. Akira ran a cracker to finish second at 33/1 under Niall McCullagh for Shay Barry while Colour Blue, who led from three furlongs out, finished a further half a length back in third under Gary Carroll for Willie McCreery at 10/1 (was 16/1 overnight). Kris Weld said afterwards: "That was very pleasing. Despite the betting it was a bit step up from winning a pretty average maiden. "Her sister (Caponata) also won her first two starts in maiden and Listed company. She is a fine big filly and she is only starting to fill out. She will make a nice 4yo. "Dad will speak to Lord Grimthorpe and will see if she will run again this year but she will be a smart type for next year." Additional reporting by Thomas Weeks
