Jessica Harrington who enjoyed three winners on the opening day of Longines Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday continued her rich vein of form when claiming the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday with Discoveries (17/2).
The two-year-old filly was a 17th Group 1 victory for her sire, the late Mastercraftsman, as the daughter of the Rahy filly Alpha Lupi took revenge on her Group 2 Debutante Stakes conqueror at The Curragh, Agartha.
In the seven-furlong race, Discoveries and Shane Foley had three quarters of a length in hand on the Joseph O’Brien-trained daughter of Caravaggio, Agartha (100/30), with Sunset Shiraz (12/1) back in third place in the Group 1 contest that is restricted to fillies.
The same three fillies filled the first-three places in the Moyglare Stud Stakes as had filled them in the Debutante Stakes on 21 August, except in different order this time.
The Jessica Harrington-handled Discoveries, making just her fourth career start, is a full sister to Champion Three-Year-Old filly Alpha Centauri and a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Alpine Star. Discoveries siblings were also trained by Harrington and ran in the same Niarchos Family colours.
Ger Lyons, who enjoyed an incredible four winners at Leopardstown on Saturday, had supplemented Cairde Go Deo for the Moyglare Stud Stakes but the 85/40 favourite could only manage a disappointing sixth place in the race.
The Moyglare Stud Stakes was a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November.
Romantic Proposal books Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Slot
Irish training’s sprint king Eddie Lynam achieved another milestone in his career as his Romantic Proposal (16/1) won the Group 1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes and claimed a precious “Win and You’re In” slot for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
The daughter of Kildangan Stud’s Raven’s Pass, a €25,000 foal and a €55,000 yearling, only broke her maiden as a three-year-old and had just a solitary win under her belt this season prior to Sunday’s win.
Romantic Proposal held off A Case Of You (33/1) by a half-length with the English raiders, reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint champion Glass Slippers (7/2), and Dragon Symbol (5/2f) a neck and a further half-length back in third and fourth places respectively in the five-furlong contest.
The eventual winner was held up early by jockey Chris Hayes before tracking the English runners in the latter stages of the contest. The five-year-old Clipper Logistics-owned mare battled to the line to hold off all challengers and book herself a trip to Del Mar.
Photos: Courtesy of Breandán Ó hUallacháin
