'We thought last week that she was never better' - Dun Na Sead putting it together for Cotter

Recent Tipperary Listed winner Son Of Corballis may well be a rare Irish runner in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury on Saturday, and his trainer Kieran Cotter advertised the good form of the stable when the Kildare Racing Syndicate's Dun Na Sead landed the opening feature sprint handicap.

Cotter said that when this filly won on her juvenile debut at the Curragh in 2021 he thought he had a stakes filly on his hands, but she finally seems to be franking that early promise, as this dominant performance from the front under Oisin McSweeney followed up a victory at Down Royal the previous month.

Cotter added: "Everything went wrong last year and even this year we feel that she is only now coming to hand. We thought last week that she was never better. They say that sprinters get better with age and she seems to be showing it.

"She had a lot of trouble with her feet and she is after having two wind operations as well. It's coming together now. She has so much speed and she takes a bit of pegging back. We will have to have a close look at the programme. Some of the lads were complaining that she got 8lb for winning at Down Royal, but we may forget about that!"

Sandy impresses 

Several riders were also in action at the evening meeting at Fairyhouse less than an hour away, and former champion Declan McDonogh was one of those riders in demand, partnering one of the most impressive winners of the afternoon on the Joseph O'Brien-trained Sandy Creek in the mile maiden.

It was the fourth time O'Brien had won the race since it was introduced five years ago. 

This filly had not really built on a very promising second in a Curragh maiden last year. The further they went the more powerfully the daughter of Frankel galloped and her four-and-a-half length win over market rival Pivotal Revive was a good measure of her superiority.

"She always showed a bit of pace but there was plenty of pace today and I just wanted to slot in and get a position," said McDonogh. "I got a little breather into her and away she went up the straight. 

"She handled the surface well, stayed well and went to the line good. Hopefully, she can improve. I would say fast ground is something she has to have and it was good to see her handle it so well today."

O'Brien and McDonogh also teamed up to win the later 1m2f maiden with odds-on favourite Shamwari.

Magic O'Meara

Nenagh trainer Michael O'Meara will not forget this day in a hurry as he carded a first double. 

Eight-year-old Bobby K in the hands of Gary Carroll set the ball rolling when landing the first division of the mile handicap. "I don't know if there's much more to come but he could shock us," said the trainer, who completed his double in the concluding 1m4f handicap with the victory of Roman Bull under Jake Coen.

O'Meara also sold recent Limerick maiden winner Ethical Diamond for 320,000gns at the Newmarket July Sales. That could be called the perfect day.

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