Satin shines during Irish Champions Festival Satin came home strongly to annex a big pot in the 'Petingo' at Leopardstown. The Australia filly sported first-time cheekpieces and was noted picking up on the run to the final couple of furlongs. She improved to third a furlong and a-half down and was soon ridden by Shane Foley to overwhelm No Niki No and Burren Song in the final furlong. She soon scarpered for home and took the honours by a healthy two and a-half lengths at 14/1. Comfort Zone (6/1 - 4/1) got going late for second with Burren Song a length and a-quarter back in third at 25/1. Jessica Harrington said: "She was good. I thought she'd run very well, she was very unlucky in the Shergar Cup as she got locked in and I thought that was her day with the small field there. “The cheekpieces helped her today, she wasn't intimidated by the other horses which really helped. “She showed a great turn of foot. I was worried for a second that he would get her out and then it was grand. We did a lot of shouting! “She's a good filly. We thought a lot of her last year and we ran her in the fillies' Listed race here last year, she finished 10th in it and we were disappointed. “She's won on slow ground, but Shane said she absolutely hops off that good ground. “We'll look for a stakes race and hopefully keep her in training next year. She'll be a lovely mile-and-six filly.” Kate Harrington added:- “She took ages to come to herself in the spring. She got very badly jarred here last year and didn't come until the week before she ran in her maiden. “In the spring she was working like a 50-rated horse, but she suddenly came right and she hasn't stopped improving.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
