Princess Highway is driven out by Pat Smullen to take the feature at Naas© Photo Healy Racing
The feature race at Naas this evening, the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Blue Wind Stakes, went to the Dermot Weld trained, Pat Smullen ridden Princess Highway
The well-bred daughter of Street Cry is out of 2002 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Irresistible Jewel.
She is a half-sister to the high class Group 3 winner and multiple Group 1 placed Mad About You and the Thomas Carmody trained five time winner Royal Diamond who recently won a handicap at Leopardstown in impressive fashion.
The well backed 3/1 joint favourite (was as big as 10/1 this morning and opened at 7/1 on track) Aloof for David Wachman and Billy Lee attempted to make all however she had no more to offer when passed two furlongs out and eventually finished last.
After tracking Aloof in second, the winner took it up when that one folded and she kept on well from there to score by a length at the line.
Outsider of the field Aaraas at 12/1 ran on to take second for Kevin Prendergast and Declan McDonogh while the other 3/1 joint favourite Shebella for John Oxx and Johnny Murtagh finished a disappointing fifth.
After disappointing on her debut at Leopardstown over seven furlongs last October, the winner got off the mark on her next start again at Leopardstown when stepped up to 1m 2f in March before following up this evening.
Winning trainer Dermot Weld said afterwards: "That was a nice performance by her and she is a lovely filly.
"We won the Ribblesdale with her dam and I think that is the logically way to go with her. It was always in my mind to come here and then go for the Ribblesdale.
"She is a very nice progressive filly and I hope she might be as good as Blue Wind, who this race is named after. She won the Epsom and Irish Oaks for me.
"Epsom might be a bit premature for this filly and I think it is the right strategy to go for the Ribblesdale."
Donal Murphy & Gary Carson
