IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE Frankie takes brilliant win at Curragh
ON the day when Alpha Centauri bagged her fourth Group 1 success of the season at Deauville for Jessica Harrington, Advertise became the first British-trained winner of the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes since 1997.
Backed into 11/10, causing Aidan O’brien’s Sergei Prokofiev to drift before finishing a disappointing last of the five runners, the Frankie Dettoriridden colt had to work had to see off the O’brien-trained filly S Perfect by a half-length in the Curragh feature.
The other Ballydoyle runner, The Irish Rover, was a similar distance away in third.
Advertise, runner-up to
Calyx in the Coventry at
Royal Ascot before winning the Group 2 July Stakes in Newmarket, is trained by Martyn Meade who admitted: “I was quite bullish about this horse and, luckily, it paid off.
“We came here with a bit of trepidation – he’s a very good horse at home but they have to go and prove it on the track. It was good to have Frankie on board – he told me after the July Stakes we could go anywhere with this horse.
“We’ll give him a little break now and step him up to seven furlongs in the Dewhurst.”
Undoubtedly the most impressive of the day was the Sheila Lavery-trained Lady Kaya (inset), which bolted up by no less than 10 lengths in the Loder 2-Y-0 Fillies race, giving rider Robbie Colgan his first Curragh success.
Lavery described the Dandy Man filly as “something very, very special” and acknowledged: “The phone is going to be hopping and it’ll be a brave move to hold on to her.”
Joseph O’brien won the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes with three-yearold Speak In Colours which saw off veteran Gordon Lord Byron and favourite Spirit Of Valor.
It has plenty of options in the coming weeks, including the Haydock Sprint Cup.
Joseph O’brien, back from a flying visit to Chicago, completed a 54/1 double when Tremendous Leap, ridden by another transatlantic-traveller in Wayne Lordan, captured the finale. Meanwhile, this evening’s action is in Ballinrobe where Pat Fahy, successful with Stormy Belle in Cork on Saturday, provides the nap selection in the shape of Head Turner, top weight for a division of the Yupana Inc. California Handicap.
Runner-up to Small Bit Of Love over course and distance last month, the seven-year-old ran creditably when fifth to Share The Honour in Galway and has definite claims here under Shane Foley.