Via Sistina and Jamie Spencer. (Photo by David Betts)
By Breandán Ó hUallacháin
One of the two overseas raiders, Via Sistina (6/4f), survived a stewards’ inquiry* to win the Group 1 Yulong Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday.
Trained in England by George Boughey, the five-year-old came on the ouside of the nine-runner field once inside the two-furlong pole. Despite the best efforts of England-based Irish-born winning jockey Jamie Spencer, the daughter of Fastnet Rock swerved to her right and encroached on her main rivals at the business end of the race.
With some of the opposition rivals clearly affected by the filly’s action, and their momentum checked, a stewards’ inquiry was immediately called post-race. A winning distance of two lengths meant the first past-the-post was judged the best filly on the day and as a result, did not lose the race.
The other English-trained runner, Stay Alert, was second under Irish jockey Ronan Whelan, while Above The Curve, winner of the Group 2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud on her most recent start, was third for trainer Joseph O’Brien, rider Ryan Moore and the Coolmore partners.
The winning owner, Stephen Hillen, told host broadcaster RTÉ Sport:
“That’s probably as fast ground as she needs. Jamie (Spencer, winning rider) said they went really quick and he said he missed the break. She’s that big, she wears a rug. When they wear a rug, they’re always slow away. He was a bit further back than he wanted to be.”
Describing how he purchased the now Group 1-winning filly, Stephen Hillen explained:
“She was a foal share and she wasn’t protected, so she had no reserve. I had seen her a couple of times and she had a great action but she’s near to seventeen hands (high)– she looked pretty backward. She looked like she needed time.
“She’s very versatile. I think she can go a mile to a mile and a half. She likes going in a straight line so she could go to the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in thirteen days time, or after that the Nassau Stakes (at Goodwood). She’s in the Yorkshire Oaks, she’s in the International at York.”
Former Irish champion jockey and now successful flat trainer Johnny Murtagh won the Group 3 Paddy Power International Stakes over 1 mile 2 furlongs with Mashhoor.
Ridden by Ben Cohen, the five-year-old gelded son of Juddmonte Farms’ Kingman took up the running early in the race. Unchallenged for the lead throughour the contest, Cohen asked his willing mount for more on entering the home stretch.
Despite a valiant effort from Al Riffa, last year’s Group 1 National Stakes winner at The Curragh, the winner came home in splendid isolation with the aforementioned second four and three-quarter lengths behind. Alfred Munnings, having his first run since being beaten in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022, was another six lengths further back in third.
Three-time Breeders’ Cup-winning former rider Johnny Murtagh, who claimed the Breeders’ Cup Marathon with Man Of Iron in 2009, spoke to the media following the success of Mashhoor in the Paddy Power International Stakes, stating:
“I’ve learned bits and pieces from all those great trainers I’ve ridden for down the years. In all fairness to the horse, you have to say he has improved immensly. He has been very straightforward this year and the race came for him at the right time. There was no pace today and I said to Ben (Cohen) ‘let him string along’ as he leads the string at home. When they turned in I knew he was not going to stop as he won over a mile and half the last time.
The 1995 Breeders’ Cup winner with Ridgewood Pearl continued:
“I picked him out at Tattersalls (Sale) a few years ago. He was one of Hamdan Al Maktoum’s and he came out of Michael Stoute’s (yard). They were faily positive about him, he’s lightly raced, he’s by Kingman; I like Kingman.”
Aidan O’Brien, Ryan Moore and the Coolmore partners completed an early double on the card.
City Of Troy, a son of Justify out of Together Forever and a full-brother to Bertinelli, won the opening Barronstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden over seven furlongs on his racecourse debut.
Running in the colours of Mrs John Magnier, the juvenile was a two and a half length winner over Galen, ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle for Joseph O’Brien, with the Jessica Harrington-trained Instant Appeal a length and a quarter further back in third under three-pound claimer Scott McCullagh.
“He was always a little different at home,” winning trainer Aidan O’Brien stated. “He’s a medium-sized horse with a giant stride. He travels very easy through his work and when you ask him to lengthen, he gets longer and longer. Going to the winning post today he started to open up. Ryan (Moore, winning jockey) said he wasn’t stopping. He has great balance. Obviously he is a horse than can get further.”
The double was completed in the following race when Matrika won the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes for fillies.
The seven-runner field split into two groups on leaving the stalls for the six-furlong contest with the advantage seemingly being with the stands’ side runners, which included Matrika.
The two-year-old daughter of No Nay Never was beaten by a length in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last week, but the half-sister to The Wow Signal showed no after effects as she came home a length and three-quarters to the good over Paddy Twomey’s Gunzburg, with Ashwiyaa two and a quarter lengths further behind in third place.
“She has a great constitution,” admitted her winning handler, Aidan O’Brien. “The first day she ran we were very surprised (she won) as she’s very lazy at home. Then she went to Ascot and ran a great race, was a little green and babyish, and obviously learned plenty from it again. She has plenty speed. She is a No Nay Never – they have a lot of natural speed – they find it easy to go very fast. I’d say we’ll stay at six (furlongs) for the while and if we have to step her up to seven, we will, and we’ll see then after that.”
*Note: Jamie Spencer was given six-day ban at the Curragh as a result of the interference objection.
