Glamorous Spirit: shows blistering speed to take the Group 3
PICTURE: Patrick McCann/racingpostpix.comGlamorous Spirit sparkles in Sapphire Stakes
Report: Curragh, Sunday
Dubai Duty Free Sapphire Stakes (Group 3) 5f, 3yo+
FOR the third year in a row, the Sapphire Stakes went the way of a British challenger after the Ron Harris-trained Glamorous Spirit showed blistering speed to take the Group 3.
The Welsh trainer, having his first Group win and first win in Ireland, was left celebrating a successful raid as the 16-1 winner posted a pillar-to-post victory under a strong Kieren Fallon ride.
The filly, who followed Tax Free (2008) and Benbaun (2009) on the recent rollcall, blasted out of the gate and wrestled the lead from Piccadilly Filly.
Fallon had the four-year-old travelling with plenty of enthusiasm and the pair kicked clear two furlongs out and could not be caught despite the best intentions of renowned mud-lover Reverence, who handled the faster conditions well to run an almighty race at 33-1.
The Richard Hannon-trained Elnawin (11-2) completed the placings for a British-trained 1-2-3.
Harris said: "She’s a very quick filly. The plan was to wait and go for a Listed race at Chester in about two weeks time but her owner, Robert Bailey, who also owns Judge 'N Jury, who also ran, said we may as well bring her along as well.
"She will still go for the Chester race and I think she’ll be even better there. She got an easy enough lead early on and was able to get a second wind, which helped her."
Comments