'She is maturing really well' - Tenebrism advertises her sprinting qualities with decisive Listed success

Being trained as a 1,000 Guineas horse last season did not bring out the best in the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly Tenebrism, but she could be a different proposition as a sprinter and started her season in style with a decisive success under Ryan Moore in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cork Stakes.

Always travelling sweetly, she did not fully get into gear until inside the last furlong but showed a good turn of foot to win going away by a length and three-quarters from Wodao and Pretty Rebel. 

O'Brien said: "It was apparent at the end of last year that she was a pure sprinter. We tried to stretch her to seven furlongs and a mile but she just has pure and natural speed. She could be exciting.

"She went to the Curragh after racing a couple of weeks ago and Dean Gallagher was delighted with her. We've been very happy with her since. She has a great mind and can quicken, and she is maturing really well. She can go back to Naas in a couple of weeks and we thought at Ascot she could run in the King's Stand and the Platinum Jubilee. Hopefully if everything is well that's where she'll go."

Magica impresses

There was a reverse for Ballydoyle in the juvenile maiden when Sioux Nation's close relative Alabama was no match for impressive newcomer Noche Magica, a first two-year-old runner this season for Paddy Twomey.

A son of Night Of Thunder who cost £230,000 as a yearling, Noche Magica showed an impressive burst of speed inside the last furlong under Billy Lee to win by three and three-quarter lengths from Curragh runner-up Sturlasson with Alabama only third.

Twomey said: "He was green. He fell out of the gates but once he was going and joined them, Billy said he was just going through the gears. He said that ground actually blunted his speed. I felt he was ready to start and that he'd run a nice race.

"I don't gallop horses in the spring. He had one breeze and did a half-speed with a three-year-old last week. That's all he's done so far. It's natural ability you saw today. I haven't really thought past today. That was five furlongs and six won't be a problem. We'd love to go to Ascot in June and I think he's good enough."

Joe pounces late

To see Noel Meade turn up at Cork instead of Fairyhouse might have been a tip in itself for his runner Joe Masseria in the 7f handicap, and so it proved as the son of Fast Company got up in the last stride under champion jockey Colin Keane.

The four-year-old had done good late work in the Irish Lincoln and Meade said: "He ran well that day. They went no gallop and he had too much to do. It was my fault with the instructions. He wants soft ground and we'll keep tipping away while the ground is like this."

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