Sunday 22 May 2011

More From The Curragh...we were on Hitchens BIG TIME!


Hitchens led home a British-trained one-two in the Group Three Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh.

David Barron's six-year-old (11-4) came with a decisive late run under Fran Berry to defeat the game Tiddliwinks, trained by Kevin Ryan, by a length and a quarter.

Santo Padre was third, while Aidan O'Brien's Sing Softly, the 5-2 favourite, led for a long way but faded tamely into fourth.

Berry said: "Connections were adamant I got a lead on him and waited for the gaps and, thankfully, the race worked out very well.

"He got out and had a couple of lengths to make up on Pat Smullen's mount (Tiddliwinks), but he picked up and won very well at the line. Just when I switched out for a few strides it took him a while to get going, but he got organised and did it well."

Emulous wore down Lolly For Dolly to grab the Group Three spoils in the TRI Equestrian Stakes.

Smullen brought the Dermot Weld-trained four-year-old to challenge Lolly For Dolly almost a quarter of a mile out and led inside the final furlong. The 11-4 shot steadily drew clear to score by a length and three-quarters from the 11-10 favourite.

Weld said: "She's a filly that always progresses as the year goes on. She's a lovely filly and very consistent for us.

"She's entered in the Windsor Forest at Royal Ascot and I'll speak with Lord Grimthorpe (owner Khalid Abdullah's racing manager) and decisions will be made.

"It's really in the second part of the year, from August afterwards, that you are really going to appreciate this filly. The long-term plan will be to try to win a Group One with her later in the year."