Fumata too good for Waterville in Leopardstown contest

One-time Classic hope beaten again.

Fumata inflicted a second successive defeat on the highly-touted Waterville in the Captain Dara Fitzpatrick Memorial Maiden at Leopardstown.

Bred in the purple as a half-brother to multiple Group One-winning filly Sea Of Class, Waterville was being talked up as a potential Derby horse by trainer Aidan O’Brien even before his competitive debut.

The Ballydoyle handler confirmed a trip to Epsom was off the agenda after he could finish only third on his introduction at the Curragh last month, instead raising a Royal Ascot appearance as a possibility.

The Camelot colt was the 4-5 favourite to open his account at the second attempt, but while he made rapid ground from the rear to mount a challenge, he ultimately had no answer to the finishing kick of Jessica Harrington’s 12-1 shot Fumata, with two and a quarter lengths separating them at the line.

The winner had finished fourth behind the O’Brien-trained Stone Age on his debut at Navan in March.

“I’m delighted with him. He ran a great race the first day in Navan, but just got outpaced early on,” said Harrington.

“He was outpaced today and I’d say a mile and a half is his minimum trip, they went very hard.

“He’s a very big horse, he’s got a lovely pedigree and he’s a horse that’s probably going to stay in training as a four-year-old.

“He’ll turn into a nice staying horse in the end.”

Harrington and jockey Shane Foley made it a swift double as Yashin (11-4) took the following Fund A New Home For Festina Lente Handicap.

Corporal Violette leads the way at Leopardstown
Corporal Violette leads the way at Leopardstown (Brian Lawless/PA)

Corporal Violette opened her account at the third attempt in the John R Fitzpatrick Agricultural Contractor Maiden.

Beaten a neck and half a length when filling the runner-up spot in her two juvenile starts, the Ger Lyons-trained filly was the 4-6 favourite for her seasonal reappearance.

All In The Mind refused to go down without a fight, but Corporal Violette dug deep for Colin Keane to prevail by a head.

Lyons said: “She’s still a bit timid and there is still a lot of growing to do mentally.

“She did a lot of growing from two to three and it’s only in the last month she started showing us the ability that she showed at two.

“She’ll go up to a mile now and by the end of the year she’ll be running over a mile and a quarter.

“She won the race today by pure ability and the further she went, the better she was. I’d say there is a lot of improvement in her as she’s very much a work in progress.”

The Tom Mullins-trained Female Soldier was a surprise winner of the Clayton Hotel Leopardstown Fillies Maiden on her racecourse debut.

Female Soldier (left) on her way to victory
Female Soldier (left) on her way to victory (Brian Lawless/PA)

Widely unconsidered at 66-1, the daughter of The Gurkha finished with a flourish under Billy Lee to beat Zaniyka by a neck, with even-money favourite Ark only third.

“She was giving all the right vibes at home and I was hoping she’d run into a place. When I saw the field I thought it was a fairly hot maiden and fair play to her, she’s very decent,” said Mullins.

“She was able to beat Morning Soldier at home and she’d be getting 7lb from him in a maiden. He’s not too bad, he’s rated 87.

“I hope she takes it well, she should as she’s a strong-minded filly. You probably won’t see her out again for a few weeks at least. She’ll probably be sold.”

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