Bated Breath Filly Excites At The Curragh

[Wandering Eyes]

1st-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 6-30, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.59, g/f.
VIADERA (GB) (f, 2, Bated Breath {GB}–Sacred Shield {GB}, by Beat Hollow {GB}), sent off at 11-2 as the sole filly in the line-up, was slowly away before racing in rear up the centre of the track. Green and disorganised when asked to close inside the final quarter mile, the homebred responded to a slap with the whip to find a surge and cut down U S S Michigan (War Front) close home and win by a half length. Mount Tabora (Scat Daddy), the $750,000 KEENOV half-brother to Chachamaidee (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), was hot property as the 5-4 favourite but was at work from an early point and plugged on into fifth. Winning trainer Ger Lyons was celebrating a first winner for Juddmonte. “That’s huge for us,” he said. “I was worried about the ground being too quick, as she’s a filly we like and obviously she’s going to want seven and a bit further. I just wanted a nice introduction on nice ground on a straight track so she could win her maiden next time. She hit the line strong and ran right down to the boards. There should be huge improvement in her going forward. I’ve been training 25 years and to have those colours winning for us is a proud day. Ultimately I’m always thinking stakes races, but she’ll tell me and it will be baby steps.” The winner is half-sister to the recent G3 Hampton Court S. runner-up Crossed Baton (GB) (Dansili {GB}) who had earlier taken the Listed Blue Riband Trial. From the family of the MG1SW Twice over (GB) (Observatory) and the top-level scorers Passage of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar), she also has a yearling colt by Mastercraftsman (Ire) and a filly foal by Kingman (GB). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $14,393. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ger Lyons.

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