Sapphire sparkles in Give Thanks Stakes The Dermot Weld trained Sapphire justified her long odds-on as she took the feature race at Cork this afternoon, the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes. The 4yo daughter of Medicean was last seen finishing second behind Izzi Top in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh last month and was sent off at 1/7 favourite (from 1/6) to oblige this afternoon. Ridden by Pat Smullen she tracked the leaders early on and was travelling best entering the straight. She hit the front three furlongs out and drew clear with two furlongs left to race, staying on strongly to score by an easy seven and a half lengths. The Aidan O’Brien trained Demurely was the one for Exacta punters as she finished second under Colm O’Donoghue at 20/1. Dermot Weld said afterwards: "That is a nice double. She is the first mare to win both the Noblesse Stakes and the Give Thanks Stakes. "She was very impressive and very good. She is a lovely big staying mare and there is lots to look forward to with her. "The Irish St Leger is next up and we will take it from there. She is a stayer with speed and she is a very adaptable mare. She is a big galloping mare and I think she will get 1m 6f at her ease. "She is only getting going now and she will be kept in training next year. "She will be entered in the Melbourne Cup, I’m not saying she will run in it but she will be entered."
