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Tom Weekes
O'Brien adds Ecstatic to long list of quality juvenile fillies
Ecstatic and Ryan Moore
© Photo Healy Racing
Champion trainer Aidan O'Brien added Ecstatic to an amazing crop of juvenile-filly prospects today as the Japanese-bred impressively landed Tipperary's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
Ridden by Ryan Moore, the once-raced daughter of Lord Kanaloa quickened smartly in the home straight to score by 3.25 lengths from Lush Lips
O'Brien's Royal Ascot winners Fairy Godmother and Bedtime Story dominate ante-post betting for next year's English 1,000 Guineas and Oaks along with Group 2-winning stablemate Truly Enchanting while other O'Brien-trained fillies Giselle, Dreamy and Lake Victoria are already generally 25/1 chances for Classic success.
For good measure, on Monday, O'Brien's juvenile filly Heavens Gate landed Naas' valuable Ballyhane Stakes.
Following today's win with Ecstatic (2/1), O'Brien said "the juvenile fillies look nice and look an unusual bunch at the moment. There are so many of them who could be smart."
Regarding Ecstatic he added "Ryan was delighted with her, loved her and said she'll stay. She came forward from her first run. He didn't think she was slow but thought she would get 1m2f next year. She has a super pedigree.
"We have plenty of fillies for the Debutante and can go gently with her now as she is a big filly. We won't over faze her."
Another O'Brien-trained juvenile filly, January later landed the featured Listed Churchill Stakes by four lengths.