'I had a good feeling coming into this race about our filly' - Joe Murphy sweet on 40-1 shot Shiota

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If trainer Joe Murphy is to be believed, we will hear a lot more about Shiota, who belied odds of 40-1 to land what was a well-contested juvenile conditions race.

Ignored in the market, despite a promising opening run at Cork the previous month, she showed a good turn of foot under Gary Carroll to beat front-running previous winner Elzem by a head, with a similar margin back to strong-finishing newcomer No Return.

Her first run was behind the impressive Ger Lyons-trained filly Babouche and Murphy said: "I thought that Cork race was the best maiden I have seen in a long time and I think the winner is a genuine Group 1 filly."

He added: "I had a good feeling coming into this race about our filly. She's probably a seven-furlong filly and beautifully bred by a sire I like (Tamayuz). She's probably more of a three-year-old. 

"She's in the Ballyhane Stakes here next month and I suppose we ran her here to give her a feel of the track before going there, but we will see how she comes out of it. We maybe have the Silver Flash as well and hopefully the Moyglare too, so we can have a couple of bites at the cherry." 

Lyons red-hot form continues
No trainer is in better form than Ger Lyons, who continued his run when Colin Keane was seen to good effect on National Lady in the feature fillies' sprint handicap.

It was Lyons's 11th winner in the last 14 days, and on a day when being drawn towards the stands' side in the sprints was a distinct advantage, Keane kept the daughter of Magna Grecia on that side, and she picked up well on the climb to the line to win by three-quarters of a length from Staysound Susie.

Lyons said: "She is a big, honest filly and is really growing into herself. I put the hood on her today but the first thing Colin said was that it was the last thing she needed. She was as quiet as a lamb. She is a very honest filly and I would have no problem stepping back up to seven."

He added: "Black type is always on the agenda if she is good enough. You have to work your way into that grade and you have to earn it, but with a filly it is very important. The horses are running well, so we can make hay while the sun shines. It won't last forever." 

McDonogh misses out
Happenings over the last couple of days will have done little to make an under-the-weather Declan McDonogh feel much better. After missing out on a treble at Bellewstown on Friday evening, he missed the winning ride on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Surfers Paradise in the 7f rated race. 

Mikey Sheehy was the beneficiary and McDonogh will not get the chance to renew the association as the horse goes to the July sales at Newmarket.

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