Ears pricked, job done easily, Palace under Joseph O'Brien© Photo Healy Racing
Gorteo (9/4 into 6/4) tried to put it up to odds-on favourite Palace from the front in the #20 Family Ticket For May 18th Family Day Fillies Maiden but she was ultimately easily brushed aside by the 'jolly' in Navan's finale.
Bringing up a double for Ballydoyle after Dazzling s win earlier and indeed also a brace for the stallion Fastnet Rock (on the mark with Fascinating Rock in the 3.35), Palace got a patient ride as she did on debut at Leopardstown 10 days ago.
Joseph O'Brien always looked confident that she'd pick up when required in the straight and she eventually stretched away impressively inside the last for a four and three parts of a length victory.
Also bred by the Ballydoyle maestro under the Whisperview Trading banner, Aidan O'Brien remarked: "She's a nice filly and I'm delighted with her. We'll have to see whether she runs again now before the Irish Guineas.
"She's coming forward lovely. She's very smart and we always thought she was.
"The Fastnet Rocks want really good ground. It's Australian breeding and they want fast ground. They have big engines.
"She was our best filly last year but she met with a setback and didn't get to run."
The Stewards received a report from Ion Hamilton , Turf Club Clerk of the Scales, regarding the fact that C.T. Keane , rider of Princess Tamay , weighed in at 1.7 lbs overweight. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned, who stated that he had a drink of water and had also facilitated the trainer by changing the girths after weighing out when it transpired that they were too loose on the filly. As a consequence of the evidence given by C.T. Keane, the Stewards further interviewed T.G. McCourt, trainer of Princess Tamay. He admitted that the original girth did not fit his filly and he changed for a smaller girth without informing the Clerk of the Scales. Having considered the evidence, the Stewards were satisfied that C.T. Keane was in breach of Rule 231 and they therefore suspended him for 1 raceday. The Stewards also found T.G. McCourt to be in breach of Rule 198 (vi) and cautioned him having taken into consideration some mitigating circumstances..
(GC & EM)
