seamie heffernan | Horse Racing Free Tips

Coolmore’s once-raced Monday (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who posted a Sept. 3 debut fourth over this seven-furlong trip at Punchestown in her only prior start, stepped forward to shed maiden status in Saturday’s Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle S. at Leopardstown. She was smartly away from an inside gate and dictated at a modest tempo along the fence after the initial strides of this black-type bow. Unflustered until scrubbed along off the home turn, the 12-1 chance refused to buckle and kept on strongly under a final-furlong drive to hold No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) by 3/4-of-a-length with A Taad Moody (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) 1 1/2 lengths back in third.

“She’s the first foal out of Ballydoyle and we thought she was very nice the first day, but she just found Punchestown a bit unusual around those bends,” explained winning trainer Aidan O’Brien. “She probably learned a lot the first day, the ground is lovely and she learned a good bit more today. I’d say she won’t have any problem stepping up quick to a Group race. The [G1 Prix Marcel] Boussac at ParisLongchamp], the [G1] Fillies’ Mile [at Newmarket] and all those races will be open to her.”

Monday, half-sister to a yearling colt by War Front and a weanling filly by Justify, is the first of three foals out of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself a full-sister to MG1SW distaffer Misty For Me (Ire) and MGSP Listed Hurry Harriet S. victress Twirl (Ire). Misty For Me produced three pattern-race winners, most notably MG1SW sire U S Navy Flag (War Front) and three-time Group 1 winner Roly Poly (War Front), and her unraced dam Butterfly Cove (Storm Cat) is a full-sister to G3 Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial S. winner Kamarinskaya and a half to MG1SW sire Fasliyev (Nureyev).

Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
BALLYLINCH STUD IRISH EBF INGABELLE S.-Listed, €100,000, Leopardstown, 9-12, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:28.27, gd.
1–MONDAY, 128, f, 2, by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
1st Dam: Ballydoyle (Ire) (Hwt. 2yo Filly-Fr, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Eng, $538,223), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Butterfly Cove, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Mr. P’s Princess, by Mr. Prospector
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Chelston, Orpendale & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $71,992.
2–No Speak Alexander (Ire), 128, f, 2, Shalaa (Ire)–Rapacity Alexander (Ire), by Dandy Man (Ire). (€190,000 RNA Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-Charles O’Callaghan, Noel O’Callaghan & Paul O’Callaghan; B-Mount Armstrong Stud. (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €20,000.
3–A Taad Moody (Ire), 128, f, 2, Awtaad (Ire)–Princess Mood (Ger), by Muhtarram. (58,000gns RNA Wlg ’18 TATFOA). O-Mrs Lynne Lyons & Louise Lyons; B-Joann Lyons (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €10,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 12.00, 5.50, 8.50.
Also Ran: Vario (GB), More Beautiful, Sister Rosetta (Ire), Earth Strike (Ire), Allagar (Ire), New Emerald Bay (Ire), Sweet Gardenia (GB), Keeper of Time (Ire). Scratched: Miramis (Ire), Star Image (GB). Click for the Racing Post result.

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The mighty Ghaiyyath heads a field of six runners for the Irish Champion Stakes on the opening day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday afternoon.

Godolphin's star 5-year-old became the highest-rated horse in the world when adding the Juddmonte International at York last month to earlier top-level wins in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket and Sandown's Coral-Eclipse.

Charlie Appleby told godolphin.com: “It was a routine piece of work (on Wednesday) to check his well-being, and he has come through it without a worry.

“It was not strong work, more a breeze, which is normal procedure three days before a race. He's telling us that he's ready now for another big race.

“We are really looking forward to the weekend. He travels to Ireland at the peak of his career, unbeaten in four starts this year, three of them Grade 1s, two of which were officially rated the best performances globally in 2020.”

The Irish Champion Stakes offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Longines Turf in November at Keeneland.

The main opposition to Appleby's charge will come from two Aidan O'Brien-trained runners, Magical, winner of the Irish Champion Stakes last year and the mount of Seamie Heffernan, and the Ryan Moore-ridden Japan. Magical is bidding to become the first horse to win the race twice after the O'Brien-trained Dylan Thomas in 2006 and 2007.

Jean-Claude Rouget is back for further Irish Champion Stakes success. He won with Almanzor in 2016 and runs Sottsass, the mount of Colin Keane, and the field is completed by the Jessica Harrington-trained Leo De Fury and one more from Ballydoyle, Armory.

Classic winners Fancy Blue, trained by Donnacha O'Brien and his father Aidan's Peaceful, lead the way in the Group 1 Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes. Eleven runners will line up for the first of the weekend's six Group 1 races with Albigna and Valeria Messalina representing Jessica Harrington, Joseph O'Brien's Argentinian-import Wilds Dreams takes her chance while Johnny Murtagh runs both Champers Elysees and Know It All as he searches for a first top-level training success.

Speaking this morning, Donnacha O'Brien, who has his first Longines Irish Champions Weekend runners this weekend, said: “It's a great weekend, the biggest in Irish racing and I'm excited about having horses to run.

“Fancy Blue starts out on her autumn campaign in the Matron Stakes and while the trip might not be ideal, she does have good form over a mile and she ran well in the Irish Guineas over this distance.”

There are ten runners for the Group 2 KMPG Champions Juvenile Stakes with the Harrington-trained Cadillac leading the way along with course and distance winner Fernando Vichi, and Ides Of August, trained by Donnacha O'Brien and Ger Lyons respectively.

Another Group 2 on the stellar card is the Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile and here ten runners will go to post with British raiders Century Dream, Escobar and Safe Voyage taking on the likes of Royal Dornoch, Lancaster House and Ancient Spirit.

The Group 3 Paddy Power 'Is It 2021 Yet?' Stakes has a field of 13 with Joseph O'Brien's pair Buckhurst and Patrick Sarsfield taking on Irish Derby runner-up Tiger Moth, trained by Aidan O'Brien, Johnny Murtagh's Red Kelly and the Paddy Twomey-trained Bolivar.

Racing begins with the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes where 13 runners line out, among them Joseph O'Brien's course and distance winner Earth Strike and the recent Punchestown scorer New Emerald Bay, another for Johnny Murtagh.

A maximum field of 18 runners, including last year's runner-up Buildmeupbuttercup, are set for the Irish Stallion Farms 'Petingo' Handicap while there's also 18 declared for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Sovereign Path' Handicap with Damien English's Geological and Lord Rapscallion for Nikita Kane and Murtagh likely leading contenders.

Tim Husbands, Leopardstown CEO said: “Declarations for Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend confirm that the quality of runner associated with this prestigious weekend will be of the same exceptional standard as previous years. We are delighted to welcome our International entries but also our native runners where the depth of talent is unrivalled. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all owners, trainers, jockeys and sponsors for their valued participation and contribution to Longines Irish Champions Weekend.”

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