Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SUPREME COURT
Barrington gets the verdict in Bluebell Stakes
BARRINGTON COURT made her listed breakthrough when justifying 15/8 favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms Bluebell Stakes in Naas yesterday.
Trained for JP Mcmanus by Jessica Harrington, the six-year-old mare was ridden with supreme confidence by Shane Foley, coming from the pace to score readily by a length and a half from Snapraeceps.
“She deserved that after two good runs in stakes company,” said Harrington, who won the Balmoral Handicap with Njord in Ascot on Saturday.
“She has won today over a mile and a half and ran well over two miles last time. And she probably has enough speed for a mile and a quarter.”
Barrington Court’s win brought Shane Foley’s tally for the season to 84. But he lost ground on rival Colin Keane in the title-race as the former champion doubled-up for his boss Ger Lyons, and owner Vincent Gaul, on two-year-old debutant Power Under Me and Ecliptical, which landed the €120,000 final of the Foran Equine-sponsored series.
From a wide draw, Ecliptical (9/2) came from the back of the field and pounced inside the final furlong, under another superb Keane ride, to beat 50/1 shot The Blue Panther and top-weight Vafortino.
Shane Lyons said: “This has been the plan since he won his maiden in Bellewstown. He came from last to first, from stall 17, and showed a touch of class. He should be a lovely horse next year.”
Colin Keane, champion in 2017, now leads Shane Foley 89-84 in the title-race, with 15 meetings left.
Parent’s Prayer (12/1) crowned a memorable weekend for English trainer Archie Watson and jockey Ben Coen when recording a smooth success in the listed Irish Stallion Farms Garnet Stakes.
Watson had saddled his first Group 1 winner when Glen Shiel won the Sprint on British Champions Day in Ascot on Saturday while Coen had partnered
Johnny Murtagh’s Urban
Beat to a deserved victory in the Group 3 Al
Basti Equiworld Dubai
Pat Smullen Mercury
Stakes in Dundalk on
Friday night.
In Cork, 3/1 favourite Abbey
Magic captured the
Grade B coopsuperstores.ie Handicap
Chase for Henry de
Bromhead and
Rachael Blackmore.