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Punchestown 2024
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Review curragh 12th Aug
< Pedro The Great landed a dramatic renewal of the feature Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh for Aidan O'Brien.
The winner's stablemate Cristoforo Colombo was travelling well but with nowhere to go a furlong out when he appeared to clip heels and crashed to the ground. Both he and Joseph O'Brien were able to walk away.
Up front Seamie Heffernan challenged wide on Pedro The Great and the 10-1 shot swept clear to beat Leitir Mor by two and three-quarter lengths in the Group One contest.< Famous Name (evens) won at Group Two level for the first time in his amazing career when he put Born To Sea to the sword in the Keeneland Royal Whip Stakes.
Pat Smullen tracked the pace until the top of the straight, where he sent Dermot Weld's seven-year-old into the lead, and it was soon all over as he stretched well clear to win by six and a half lengths for a 19th career success.< My Special J's beaten two and a half lengths by Harasiya at Leopardstown last month, reversed the form to spring a 12-1 suprise in the Keeneland Debutante Stakes.
Colm O'Donoghue pulled out to challenge a furlong and a half out on Pat Shanahan's filly, who battled on well when the odds-on favourite arrived on the scene and held on by a neck to take the Group Two prize.< Starspangledbanner returned to action in the Patrick P O'Leary Memorial Phoenix Sprint Stakes and led for much of the way, but faded badly at the business end of the Group Three contest.< Gordon Lord Byron took over and held the advantage through the final furlong, but after a keen duel Wayne Lordan forced the David Wachman-trained Fire Lily (5-2) up close home to win by half a length.
Kevin Prendergast's Starbright (11-4 joint favourite) came into the Foleys Antiques EBF Fillies Maiden on the back of two seconds and after taking charge a furlong and a half out under Chris Hayes, scored comfortably by a length.