Kildare Racing News: Jessica Harrington's second classic success with Magical Lagoon
The gutsy Magical Lagoon gave Jessica Harrington her second Irish Classic success with a battling victory over the Aidan O'Brien-trained Toy in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Saturday.
With Shane Foley on board the recent Royal Ascot winner, the strong 5/4 favourite saw off the Ballydoyle challenger by half a length, a third Curragh Classic win and a ninth Group 1 victory for the County Kilkenny jockey.
Harrington said, “It’s only her third run this year and I would say she will improve again. And if she stays in training next year she could be a fabulous filly. She’s in the Yorkshire Oaks and we'll see from there.”
For good measure, Foley and Harrington also won the eight-furlong fillies’ maiden with Benitoite. Again there wasn’t much in it, but the 3/1 joint-favourite possibly had a little more in hand than her winning margin of three parts of a length over the Ken Condon-trained Spring Feeling might suggest.
Johnny Murtagh’s horses certainly found their form again over the weekend and he shared an important winner with Ben Coen as Ladies Church, in the colours of Mark Dobbin, battled well to take the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes over five furlongs.
The 12/1 chance got up in the final stride to pip 2/1 favourite Mooneista by a shorthead and the game winner will now step up to Group 1 company.
Murtagh was a winner again at the Curragh on Sunday where Kerkiyra and Ben Coen scored a narrow victory in the 10-furlong handicap. The 4/1 chance, running in her first handicap, held on to beat Jim Bolger’s Nectarine by a neck.
The season’s leading jockey Billy Lee rounded off the week with a winner when getting 3/1 favourite Are We Dreaming home by two and three-parts of a length from the Kevin Coleman-trained Only Spoofing in the five-furlong handicap for trainer Willie McCreery. It was Lee’s 55th success of the season.
At Tipperary on Sunday, Kilcullen conditional rider Charlie O’Dwyer rode a winner in his mother Audrey’s colours as I’m Not Alone won the opportunity handicap chase in good style.
Trained by the winning jockey’s father Conor, the 6/1 shot led at the third last fence and came home a two and three-parts of a length winner from the Gavin Cromwell-trained Malina Girl.
Dempsey double
Luke Dempsey was first off the mark and ended up with a double at Kilbeggan on Friday evening where 8/13 favourite Minella Youngy won the two-mile three-furlong maiden hurdle in fine style.
Owned by the Youngy Syndicate and trained by Gavin Cromwell, the four-year-old led at the second last hurdle and raced away to score by an easy 10 lengths from the John McConnell-trained Jumping Susie.
Five and a half-lengths was the winning margin as 9/1 shot Arverne took the handicap chase over the same distance to give the trainer and jockey their second victory.
In the JP McManus colours, the 9/1 chance made almost all the running to beat the Andy Slattery-trained Swiss Brid in convincing fashion.
Conor Brassil also made it to the winners’ enclosure as he took the two-mile maiden hurdle on Henry de Bromhead’s Itwasfate. Leading just before the final flight, the strong 6/5 favourite beat the Jessica Harrington trained Shona Mea by a length and a quarter in the colours of Roger Kissane.
Mr Macphisto was a winner for Ricky Doyle and trainer Eoin Griffin. Owned by the trainer’s son Eanna and bred by his father Sean, the 7/1 chance led at the final flight and scored by half a length from the John Ryan-trained Cracklinrose to take the near two-mile handicap hurdle.
Eddie and Patrick Harty won the three-mile handicap hurdle with 6/1 shot Lily Light Foot. In the colours of her breeder Robert Guiry, the six-year-old raced to a comfortable six and a half-length success over the Brian McMahon-trained Killinure Lass, a first winner in Ireland for conditional jockey Kieren Buckley.
Grassick on mark
Curragh trainer Michael Grassick won the seven-furlong handicap for three-year-olds at Leopards-
town on Thursday evening as Amanirenas, owned and bred by Renata Coleman, scored by a length from the Johnny Murtagh-trained 5/2 joint favourite Navagio. Ridden by Robbie Colgan, she came from the back of field and was well on top at the line.
Killarney
Ross O'Sullivan and Jack Foley combined to win the second division of the two and a half-mile handicap hurdle at Killarney on Thursday where the 14/1 shot Battle Away scored a narrow success. In the colours of Dan Rohan, the nine-year-old was running for the first time since August 2019 and she led from the third last hurdle to beat the Shane Broderick trained Sphagnum by half a length.
Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley were winners again at Killarney on Wednesday where Cowboy Justice, the 5/2 favourite, won the eight-furlong rated race. In the Alpha Racing colours, the three-year-old bounced back to form with a two length success over stable companion, the Scott McCullagh ridden 3/1 shot That’s Just Dandy.
Willie McCreery and Billy Lee landed the Flat feature of the track’s July festival as Cigmia scored in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes.