Jessica Harrington's Sierra Nevada comes out on top in name game at Gowran

Sunday: Gowran Park

There could have been only one winner in the clash of Sierra Nevada and Sierra Nevada. And it was Sierra Nevada.

The Jessica Harrington-trained three-year-old came out best in convincing style in the fillies' maiden, the first race in Britain or Ireland in almost 30 years to include two horses with the same name.

It was made a bit easier for commentator Peter O'Hehir as the two fillies were not really in the same vicinity, with the Harrington filly making most of the running and the Charles O'Brien-trained namesake being in mid-division most of the way.

The winner, an imposing half-sister to Harrington's first Group 1 winner Pathfork, went away in the final furlong to score by an impressive six lengths from Any Dream Will Do.

Harrington said: "She's a gorgeous filly and a lovely mover. She has just been a bit of a slow learner. We have her in the Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh and that'll be next."

Asked about taking on another Sierra Nevada, she said: "I knew there were two of them. The other filly kept getting entered and I kept thinking that I hadn't put that filly in that race! But I'm delighted with her and hopefully now she'll go forward."

Ladder climbing

Silken Ladder looks a progressive filly for Joe Murphy after following up last month's victory at Killarney by proving a cut above her opponents in the 7f handicap.

If the ground is suitable she could well go for a premier fillies' handicap at the Curragh on the back of this performance, having gone clear under Gary Carroll in the final furlong to score by three and three-quarter lengths from Hot Sunset.

"She wouldn't want the ground any quicker than that, and if it was to dry out any further we might put her away for the autumn, but if conditions were right we could go for the premier handicap at the Curragh," said Murphy, who is looking forward to running Gustavus Weston in Saturday's Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He added: "She's a progressive filly but I'd see her more as a handicapper for now than a black-type filly."

O'Brien sparklers

Joseph O'Brien's string are in good form and he registered a treble, highlighted by Night Of Romance's two-length victory under Dylan Browne McMonagle in the feature 7f fillies' handicap.

The Teme Valley-owned Gear Up, in the hands of Jake Coen, made all to land the 1m1½f conditions race, but potentially the most significant winner was the juvenile Zoinnocent, who put in a smooth performance in the 7f maiden under Shane Crosse.

O'Brien's assistant Brendan Powell said: "She showed a lot of boot in the straight. She ran around a bit and is still green but she’s a big filly and is going to make a three-year-old. I think she'll be very good when she fills out."

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