Key To My Heart is pushed out by Donnacha O'Brien© Photo Healy Racing
Key To My Heart put in a career best performance to land the feature this evening, the Listed Queally Group Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial.
Without a win in five starts as a juvenile, the daughter of Galileo got off the mark at Dundalk in April, finishing seventh on her next outing in the Salsabil Stakes at Navan.
She ran well to finish fifth in the Blue Wind Stakes on her penultimate start, before disappointing on her most recent outing in the Munster Oaks at Cork.
Available at 10/1 this morning, she opened at 8s on-course before going off a 7/1 chance under Donnacha O'Brien for his father Aidan (completing a double having won the opener with Butterscotch .
In front in the early stages, she was soon headed and raced in second. She regained the lead early in the straight and was ridden clear from over two furlongs out, keeping on well from there to score by two and three parts of a length.
Curragh maiden winner Bloomfield was sent off the 3/1 favourite (6s last night and from an opening show of 4s), and she kept on to take second under Billy Lee for Willie McCreery.
Aidan O'Brien was also responsible for the third horse home, and that was Elizabeth Browning who was returned at 12/1 under Wayne Lordan.
Donnacha O’Brien said afterwards: "She quickened up nicely and it was a good performance. I was travelling well and I said I'd try and stretch them early in the straight.
"It's great to get a Listed race win for a well-bred filly like this. and she's a very valuable broodmare now. I was happy to go along (in front) myself but Niall (McCullagh) wanted to go so it was ideal to get a lead on her."
STEWARDS REPORT
The Turf Club Veterinary Officer examined Butterflies trained by A.P.O'Brien, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be clinically normal but noted that the filly had mud at both of her nostrils.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
