Fumata too good for Waterville in Leopardstown contest

Gary Carson
May 8, 2022 2:57 pm

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.

👏 Fumata (Fastnet Rock) was fourth to Stone Age on debut & quickens up nicely to defeat Waterville & shed the maiden tag at the second time of asking under Shane Foley@LeopardstownRC | @Jessica_Racing pic.twitter.com/IPczFAna56
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 8, 2022

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 (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 (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.”