With Danny Tudhope up, Fallen Angel walks to the winner’s circle after her victory at The Curragh. (Breandán Ó hUallacháin Photo)
At The Curragh
By Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Fallen Angel, eighth in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, England, at the beginning of May, ran out a highly impressive winner of the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh.
The Karl Burke-trained three-year-old filly had started the Newmarket classic as favourite with bookmakers, but disappointed hugely when coming home in eighth position.
Fallen Angel, a winner of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh during the 2023 Irish Champions Weekend, began the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas as 11/4 race favourite.
Ridden by Scottish jockey Danny Tudhope, the daughter of Too Darn Hot, showed her quality when challenged inisde the closing furlongs of the one-mile fillies’ classic.
When Tudhope asked the comfortably-travelling grey filly to take control of the race, she showed her quality by lengthening and taking the lead at the one-furlong marker. Fallen Angel soon stretched clear for a two and three-quarter length success over the previously unbeaten A Lilac Rolla from the Paddy Twomey yard, under Irish champion flat rider, Colin Keane.
Opera Singer, representing the powerful Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore partnership was next best, as last season’s Prix Marcel Boussac winner finished third on her 2024 seasonal bow, a further two-lengths behind the runner-up.
“She loves to gallop and she stays very well,” admitted the winning conditioner, Karl Burke. “I was happy when I saw here here. She travelled well. We have the option of the French Oaks as well, and she stays very well. We’ll enjoy today and worry about that later.”
The North Yorkshire, England, trainer continued:
“Stamina was never an issue in our heads. We just wanted to get her in a nice rhythm. That’s the thing about Newmaket, they tend to go very quick on quicker ground, whereas at The Curragh, they seem to ride a sensible race. I said to Danny ‘It’ll suit her being in a nice rhythm and you can pick her up through the latter part of the race,’ and he was always bang there, and once she took it up, and quickened clear, I knew she wouldn’t stop.”
Danny Tudhope, who won his first race as a jockey in Pisa, Italy, in 2003, said of his most recent Group 1 winner:
“She just keeps galloping and stays very, very well. She is very versatile ground wise and takes everything that comes in her stride.
Though Karl Burke initially hinted that the filly may go to France next for the Prix de Diane [French Oaks], bookmaker reaction was that Fallen Angel will now likely head to Royal Ascot for the Group 1 Coronation Stakes over a mile on 21 June, where she may again clash with the third-placed daughter of Justify, Opera Singer, as they slashed the former’s price for that race.
Commenting on the third-place finisher, Aidan O’Brien offered Racing TV the following assessment:
“I was delighted with her. I couldn’t believe she ran so well. I was very nervous running her, hoping that she wouldn’t get too tired, but she has run some race. We were hoping to run with a view to coming back for the Coronation Stakes so that’s where she’ll go now, but there could be massive improvement in her.”
Interestingly both the Tattersalls Irish 2000 and 1000 Guineas went for export to Britain this year, with Rosallion winning the former race on Saturday.
With the first two classics now complete in Ireland, England and France, Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners are still awaiting their first classic victory of the year.
