You'resothrilling (13/8) justified favouritism to land the Group 3 Swordlestown Stakes at Naas on Monday. The Aidan O Brien trained filly stepped up from her run at the Curragh first time out to land the spoils here in fine style under Seamie Heffernan. May Day Queen and Saoirse Abu were battling it out at the head of affairs before Heffernan asked for an effort just over a furlong out. The Storm Cat filly responded in fine style leading inside the final 150 yards and going on to score by a length.
Ireland's leading jockey Heffernan spoke in the absence of the winning trainer, 'It was a good run at the Curragh and we thought she would improve from that and she has, winning snugly here. She is an easy ride and I would say she has a bit of class.'
English raider Tax Free landed the Listed Naas Sprint Stakes for trainer Dandy Nicholls and jockey Adrian Nicholls upsetting the home favourite Dandy Man by a length. The pair headed the market and both tracked the leaders down the centre of the track and while Dandy Man looked to be travelling well, Tax Free took up proceedings just over a furlong out and went on to score in good fashion.
A delighted Dandy Nicholls revealed afterwards, 'I didn't think we would beat Dandy Man to be honest. He is entered for the King Stan Stakes at Ascot and there is also the King Of Beers Stakes at the Curragh on Derby day so we will wait and see where we go.'
Meanwhile Treacy Collins was upbeat about her stable star Dandy Man, 'I am not going to take anything away from the winner he is a very good horse but the ground was just gone for him. If I was to have the choice again I would still run him again but I would be hoping by the time Ascot comes around we will have better ground. Naas did a great job on the ground and it was just the rain that fell went against our lad. He will hold his entry for both the Jubilee Stakes and the King Stan and decide closer to the time. It was a very decent Listed Race,' concluded Collins.
The good run of David Wachman and Wayne Lordan continued when Chariots Of Fire scored in the Bill Whitehead Memorial over seven furlongs. The Galileo colt was well-supported (3/1-7/4) before drifting back out to eventually go off the 5/2 favourite and having took up the running a furlong from home stayed on well to hold She's Our Mark by half a length.
Winning trainer David Wachman said afterwards, 'It is good to get him back to winning ways and he will work his way back up the ladder again now. He looked to be only getting going at the finish so a mile is probably his trip and Ascot is a possibility but we will have a chat with the owners first.'
Wachman completed a personal double for the day when Potion in the colours of Sue Ann McManus landed the fillies handicap over a mile and two furlongs. Ridden by Fran Berry, the daughter of Pivotal held the challenge of Chakeera who flew home at the death to score by three parts of a length with a further length back to Lee Applause in third. Wachman later indicated a similar handicap would be next for the three year old.
Having won the feature race on the card Seamie Heffernan was after getting his day off to a good start when earlier landing the opener on the Caroline Hutchinson trained Kyles Bay. There was a warm reception as connections returned to the winner's enclosure as Kyles Bay has now made it two on the trot in the colours of the local Premier Cru Syndicate. The winner was settled in mid division and came with a late run getting up by a neck from the front running Dani's Girl in second.
'It is good to win here today as the syndicate are all local and he missed a couple of days due to a stone bruise but came back well. We will aim him for Galway now as that has been the long term plan all long and he is going the right way so far.' revealed a delighted Hutchinson.
David Myerscough notched up his first winner of the season when landing the tote.ie handicap over six furlongs with Boule Masquee under the very capable claimer Padraig Beggy. Having been settled in to race behind the leaders the eventual winner was joined by Marino Lil with a furlong to race as the pair battled it out head for head inside the final 200 yards. It was Myerscough's filly who got up to score however to the delight of her trainer who said, 'It was a much needed win, the horses were under a cloud for a little while and I gave them a break but they appear to be coming back to themselves now.'
Dermot Weld's Profound Beauty went to post the even money favourite of the concluding ten furlong maiden and the Danehill filly duly obliged in fine style making all the running to score by five lengths. An effort that really impressed her trainer, 'She is a nice filly and we will step her up to stakes level now, possibly the Ribblesdale Stakes at the Curragh. I have always seen her as an Irish Oaks filly and that has been her main summer target. She is effective over a mile and a quarter but I think she will really come into her own over a mile and a half. This filly has progressed from her run at the Curragh and I think she is very impressive.'
By Niall Cronin
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