Tipperary double strengthens O’Brien’s hand with juvenile fillies

Thomas Weekes
August 9, 2024 5:57 pm

‘There are so many of them who could be smart’.

Aidan O’Brien sent out two smart-looking juveniles at Tipperary on Friday evening, with January leading the way in the Listed Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes.

Runner-up to stablemate Heavens Gate first time out, she was a solid third in Group Two company when last seen, having taken a Gowran maiden before that.

The daughter of Kingman shaped like she would appreciate a return to seven furlongs and so it proved, as Ryan Moore took a watching brief in third, with Senna’s Girl taking the field along from Green Triangle.

Moore’s mount readily picked up Green Triangle inside the quarter-mile pole and stretched right away, accounting for Beckman by four lengths as the 1-2 favourite.

O’Brien said: “She is a promising filly and we’re very happy with her. The step up in trip suited her well, they went a right good gallop and that suited her lovely.

“It was good that she got to relax and learn a bit. She is a Debutante (Stakes) kind and could be a Fillies’ Mile type. She won’t mind going up further in distance in time.”

Ecstatic, meanwhile, benefitted from the experience of her first outing to power home in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

Quickly towards the head of affairs, the Lord Kanaloa filly is the first foal of O’Brien’s Group One-winning Magic Wand and really asserted once asked by Moore approaching the two-furlong marker.

Third on her debut at Leopardstown last month, she was sent off at 2-1 on this occasion and made no mistake in crossing the line an impressive three and a quarter lengths ahead of Lush Lips, with 6-5 favourite Continuite another half-length back in third.

O’Brien said: “Ryan was delighted with her, loved her and said she’ll stay. She came forward from her first run. He didn’t think she was slow, but thought she would get a mile and a quarter next year. She has a super pedigree.

“We have a plenty of fillies for the Debutante and can go gently with her now as she is a big filly. We won’t over face her.”

He added: “The juvenile fillies look nice and look an unusual bunch at the moment. There are so many of them who could be smart.”