Final Gesture and Billy Lee © Photo Healy Racing
Final Gesture made a big impression on her first outing for Paddy Twomey when running away with the Vintage Tipple Stakes at Gowran Park.
The beautifully-bred daughter of Dubawi had cost 925,000 euro at the sales last December and made a perfect start for new owner Bobby Flay.
Billy Lee tracked the front-running Icykel on the 4/1 joint-favourite before asking his mount to hit the front early in the straight in the mile-six listed contest.
Final Gesture soon settled matters by scooting a few lengths clear and Lee was looking around for non-existent dangers in the closing stages as he eased up for a five-length win over 25/1 shot Joupe
The winner, who had been placed in listed company in France, is out of Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture who is herself a sister to Japan and Mogul.
Lee said afterwards:- “She travelled well and I sat in behind a few past the straight here the first time as I didn’t want to set her alight. She settled beautifully through the race.
“It opened up down the back straight and I let her go forward. She travelled turning in and picked up well. I had to keep at her thinking she was starting to pull up with me a bit and when I had a look around didn’t realise I was as far in front.
“She does it impressively and is a lovely filly. She had been running over a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half in France but has no problem going this trip and I’d say two miles into the future.
“She has a beautiful pedigree by Dubawi out of Secret Gesture, she is bred in the purple. She cost a lot of money but hopefully will start repaying that.”
(Quotes by Alan Magee)
