Moonlit Show in charge at Fairyhouse© Photo Healy Racing
British-raider Moonlit Show impressed with an all-the-way victory in Fairyhouse's Listed Blenheim Stakes.
The Showcasing filly made the trip across the Irish Sea from Charlie Fellowes' stable in Newmarket.
She broke well under Billy Lee in this 50,000 euro contest and soon led. With over a quarter of a mile to travel, she had the remaining five horses off the bridle.
Lee sent her clear a furlong and a half down and she had the race in the bag entering the final furlong.
She was kept up to her work to account for the staying on favourite Born To Be who closed to within a length and three parts.
Billy Lee said: "She was good. Charlie was very confident coming over. I was talking to him, he's at the sales. It'll be a good buzz for him down there.
“He told me to be good and positive on her. I jumped out, got an easy enough lead, and kicked off the bend.
“She kept going well to the line and was just looking for company the last 100 yards. It felt like she would have picked up again.
“He told me, even though she's by Showcasing, there is plenty of stamina on the dam's side so don't be afraid to go good and early.
“Once I got turning the bend I gave her a squeeze and she picked up well for me and kept going.
“She got through the ground well. He was confident enough she'd get through it well.
“Her first two runs were moderate and the last day was a good confidence booster.”
Speaking from the sales, Fellowes added: "That's my first stakes winner so it's a huge monkey off my back.
"She's a very nice filly but she must have soft ground.
"She's won that pretty easily in the end and won with plenty left in the tank.
"There's a Group Two at Maisons-Laffitte (Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte, October 14) which we could supplement her for.
"I've no idea where the money came from, but she wasn't right when she got beaten at Wolverhampton and then we just got away with the ground at Haydock.
"We had her in the Firth of Clyde but the ground got too quick at Ayr.
"Ground is key to her and she's pretty smart.
"The owners are Irish and her owner/breeder (Peter O'Callaghan) is in Ireland. To be fair to them it was their idea to put her in the race. When the rain came over the weekend we were pretty happy about that. A good plan came to fruition."
There was a significant plunge on the winner at the track. She opened at 16/1 and tumbled down to 6/1 on the off. Born To Be drifted out from 2/1 to 5/2.
This was Moonlit Show's fourth race. A win in a Haydock maiden was secured in her last race. That followed on from a third at Windsor on debut and a fourth on the all-weather track in Wolverhampton.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
