Green Impact breaks new ground for owner-breeder Marc Chan

Gary Carson
July 25, 2024 6:38 pm

Jessica Harrington’s juvenile scores at the second time of asking at Leopardstown.

Green Impact put his previous experience to good use when coming out on top in the one-mile Frank Conroy Irish EBF Maiden ahead of two well-bred Aidan O’Brien-trained newcomers.

Jessica Harrington’s juvenile went down by just a neck behind Hazdann on his racecourse bow at the Curragh last month and looked more professional than his main market rivals on this occasion.

Shane Foley had the 11-8 favourite on the heels of front-runner Glen To Glen and loomed alongside at the two-furlong pole before kicking for home.

Green Impact responded impressively and that proved a decisive move, as the Wootton Bassett colt built up enough of a buffer to score by a length and a half from Delacroix, a son of Tepin, with his Ballydoyle stablemate Scandinavia, a half-brother to Above The Curve, back in third.

Leopardstown Races – Thursday 25th July — Green Impact ridden by Shane Foley on their way to victory at Leopardstown (Brian Lawless/PA).

Harrington said: “It’s great to get that, he’s a lovely horse. He’s the first horse that (owner) Marc Chan has ever bred, so he’s very excited.

“He’s a very laid-back horse, a big horse, and he’s probably a little bit on the weak side still.

“We’ll give him a bit of time and we probably won’t be going anywhere in a hurry. There are plenty of mile races in the autumn. He’s got some entries.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this and go from there. Whatever he does now, he’s going to get better.”

There was a major upset in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden when a host of blue-blooded youngsters were eclipsed by 80-1 longshot Latin Fever.

Mikey Sheehy produced Kevin Coleman’s daughter of Equiano with a late charge alongside 50-1 outsider Aleramo to prevail by a neck, with that pair pulling nicely clear of 7-2 joint-favourite Dahlia Noir.

Part owner Adam Potts said: “Everything went wrong, she had to overcome a bad draw and being kept on the wing the whole way and then she got a bump turning in.

“I think class got her through. She’s a half-sister to a Group Three winner (Markaz Paname) and the dam hasn’t missed.

“She was a gorgeous looking filly, so we thought we’d chance her.”