'She deserves a crack at a big one' - Havana Anna enters Commonwealth Cup picture as red-hot Ballydoyle favourite disappoints

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Lack of race-fitness proved no impediment to Havana Anna as last season’s Listed winner entered the Commonwealth Cup picture with victory in the Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes.

Charles Darwin was all the rage in the market following his winning seasonal return over course and distance, but the Ballydoyle representative was sending out distress signals a long way from home.

That left the finish to be fought out by a close-knit group of four, with Havana Anna proving just the best as she stuck to the task under Gavin Ryan to win by a head from 50-1 shot Oh Cecelia.

“I’m delighted with her,” said trainer Donnacha O’Brien. “There was plenty to work on today and I think she’ll improve a lot from it. 

“We’ll head to the Commonwealth now, all being well. She deserves a crack at a big one. She's done well physically for a filly who wasn’t over-big last year. She's grown and strengthened.”

Paddy Power reacted by cutting Havana Anna to 10-1 (from 25) for the Commonwealth Cup, while Charles Darwin was pushed out from 3-1 favourite to 16-1. 

Victorious and Ryan Moore grind out victory at Naas in the Group 3 Fillies Sprint StakesCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Victorious by name 

Albany Stakes favourite Victorious made it two from two when she followed up her impressive course-and-distance maiden victory in the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes under Ryan Moore.

It was a hard-fought win for the Wootton Bassett filly and she needed to show grit to see off the well-bred Controlla, who was making her debut for Amo Racing and trainer Robson Aguiar, by a neck.

“She’s still green, but she’s lovely,” said O’Brien. “She’s coming along lovely. Ryan just said he followed two and then they died in front of him at halfway and he got left there. She was a bit green when she was in front, but it was good for her. The Albany is the plan.”

Victorious was generally left unchanged at 5-2 for her Royal Ascot target.

O'Brien and Moore were on the mark again when Mission Central followed up his Listed win at the track last time with another at the same level in the Sole Power Sprint Stakes.

Travelling nicely throughout, the 5-4 favourite looked the most likely winner from a long way out and beat Gazelle D'Or by a length and a half. 

The gelding was widely trimmed into 10-1 (from 20) for the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot and O'Brien said: “He’s rapid. Quick ground would only help because he’s so fast. He travelled very well through the whole race and kept going. He’s progressing lovely and the plan is to go to Royal Ascot.”

‘Savage’ 1,733-1 double for De Bromhead

Ronan Whelan and Henry de Bromhead pulled off a long-priced double in back-to-back races to leave punters battered.  

First up, rank outsider Totally Puzzled opened her account at 50-1 in the mile fillies’ maiden. Midfield in her sole run last season and beaten 55 lengths at the Curragh on her return, the three-year-old left that form well behind when doggedly seeing off favourite Elmakaya by a head.

Wannabe Royal then caused another upset when she determinedly fought off Ballydoyle's Expanded in the Listed 7f Owenstown Stud Stakes at 33-1.

The four-year-old had been unable to add to her maiden win in seven subsequent starts for previous trainer Joseph O'Brien and then De Bromhead, and was beaten 24 lengths at Cork last time.

“It’s a savage day,” said De Bromhead following the second win. “It was an amazing ride from Ronan again. He’s riding out of his skin.”

Another juvenile winner for Aguiar

Your Song became Robson Aguiar’s fifth two-year-old turf winner this season when she landed the Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Race.

The outsider of the five-runner field, which included previous winners, the 25-1 chance saw off her stablemate What A Girl Wants under Hollie Doyle.

“She has a good turn of foot and plenty of speed,” said Aguiar. “We’ll aim to go for the Queen Mary.”

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