Aidan O’Brien had a duo engaged in Saturday’s Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over a mile at The Curragh and enjoyed a one-two as the middle-distance types begin to emerge from the stable’s crop of juveniles. While the market favoured Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the full-brother to the G1 St Leger and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Kew Gardens (Ire) ultimately had to give best to the stable’s second-string High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who swooped late to score with authority at 7-1. Held up in rear early by Wayne Lordan, the son of the listed scorer and group 3-placed Palace (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was looking for room two out still anchored at the back. Delivered with a surge to cut through the pack and make up three lengths on that 5-2 favourite, he was going away at the line where he held a 3/4-of-a-length margin over his stablemate, with Flying Visit (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) a head away in third.
The winner is a full-brother to last year’s G2 Beresford S. winner and G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy runner-up Innisfree (Ire), GSW-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $141,701, who has yet to be seen this term but was front rank in the Derby picture during the winter. Lordan was impressed with the bay, who is a late-May foal. “He was a little raw early. Through the middle of the race they didn’t quicken away from me and I was getting into a nice rhythm,” he commented. “He finished out comfortably. He’s a lovely colt and he’s going to be a lovely horse next year going a trip.”
Palace was always held in high regard at Ballydoyle and that was evidenced in that fact that she was only 6-1 for the 2014 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas following her second in the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial. Fifth in that Classic before being picked by Ryan Moore in the G1 Epsom Oaks where she was seventh, she went on to gain a vital black-type success in the Listed Cairn Rouge S. over an extended mile having run second in the 10-furlong Listed Naas Oaks Trial. She is a half-sister to this stable’s Furner’s Green (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), who took the G3 Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial and was a close third in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, as well as the listed-winning G1 Irish Oaks third Lady Lupus (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), the listed-winning and G3 Solonaway S. third Mystical Lady (Ire) (Halling) and the Lincoln H. winner Bravery (Ire) by Innisfree’s sire Galileo. Mystical Lady is the dam of three black-type performers for Ballydoyle including the Listed Dee S. winner and G1 Irish Derby and G1 Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Kingfisher (Ire) also by Galileo. The third dam is the high-class Sonic Lady (Nureyev), heroine of the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Sussex S. and G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.
1st-Curragh, €16,500, Mdn, 8-22, 2yo, 8fT, 1:45.95, sf.
HIGH DEFINITION (IRE), c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Palace (Ire) (SW & GSP-Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Lady Icarus (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Sonic Lady, by Nureyev
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $11,678. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs Anne Marie O’Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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