Seven Eleven and Ronan Whelan win for trainer Johnny Levins and Esteem Racing Club. © Photo Healy Racing
Seven Eleven made a winning start to life in handicap company when quickening up smartly to land the opening Molson Coors Beverage Company Nursery Handicap at Down Royal.
A daughter of Ten Sovereigns, the Johnny Levins trained filly had shown promise in a maiden on her second start over course and distance in June, before running too keenly when down the field at Naas the following month.
Held up in the early stages here by Ronan Whelan, as Oak Allye and Veracidad cut out the running, the filly travelled noticeably well behind the leaders turning into the home straight.
Once Whelan switched the Esteem Racing Club owned runner out to challenge at the furlong pole, she showed a really likeable attitude to quicken up well and go away to win snugly.
It was a second winner of the season for the newly formed club, following the success of The Organiser at the Curragh last month.
Johnny Levins said: "We've always liked this filly at home but, unfortunately, on all of her runs nothing went right for her.
"The first day in Cork they split into two groups and Seamie was left to come up on his own, and she just ran with the choke out that day. She kind of came home thinking that was what racing was all about, which was jumping and ripping.
"She came up here for another maiden, and I thought she would win, and she was too keen and ran with the choke out and did it again in Naas.
"We changed her training at home and put a tongue-bit in her to keep her tongue down. I think her tongue was getting over the bit.
"She is a nice filly and through no fault of her own she has ended up very well handicapped. I think we haven't seen the best of her because of those reasons.
"Ronnie was absolutely superb on her today."
When asked about the Birdcatcher at Naas, he replied: "I might just leave that now because I am only starting to get her doing things right.
"She does have a future, she's not just a two-year-old.
"She will go on the all-weather as well so I might use the winter programme to educate her and teach her and get her to do things right.
"We could have a lovely campaign as a three-year-old with her.
"She's very fast and I don't know if I would be in a rush to step up in trip, she has a lot of boot. In her head she thinks she is a four-furlong filly!"
On the naming of the filly, he added: "She was named after my son Theo, his weight was 7-11 when he was born.
"That's why I thought this one was a real nice filly in March, and that's why I thought I would give it (name) to her because she will win a few races. He'll be delighted that he has a winning horse (named) after him."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
