Rest of Naas round-up: Quiet Reflection's Renaissance at Naas
A review of the rest of the action from Naas as Karl Burke stole the show with Quiet Reflection and Ellthea with his fillies winning two Group Three contests.
Reflection's Renaissance at Naas
Quiet Reflection got her career back on track with an impressive comeback victory in the Renaissance Stakes.
Karl Burke's filly struck twice at Group One level last season, landing the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the Sprint Cup at Haydock.
This season has not gone so smoothly, however, with the daughter of Showcasing well-beaten on her return in the Temple Stakes at Haydock in May and she had not been seen in competitive action since.
The four-year-old was the 5-2 favourite for this Group Three test and travelled powerfully in the hands of Martin Harley.
For a moment it looked as though she could be all dressed up with nowhere to go, but when the gap came, Quiet Reflection went through the gears in fine style and passed the post two and three-quarter lengths ahead of Alphabet.
Sky Bet cut Quiet Reflection to 8/1 from 16/1 for the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot on October 21 and Burke is relishing a clash with this year's July Cup and Sprint Cup hero Harry Angel, who is the 6-4 favourite.
Burke said: "We had to take our time with her and it's just a shame that things didn't go right early on (in the year).
"Hopefully she comes out of this well and roll on four weeks for Ascot. If the ground comes up soft she will give Harry Angel a race.
"On soft ground this filly is very good and she can only sharpen up for that run. Win, lose or draw she has been an absolute star for us, and it's just great to get her back.
"She heads to Tattersalls in December. That's where she'll go after Ascot.
"We will be able to float her into Ascot now. We won't have to push her at all and can give her a nice easy week or two and then pick her up for a week or so.
"She has a great temperament and has been a pleasure to be around."
Burke filly takes Group Three prize
Burke scooped a Group-race double on the card as Ellthea also triumphed in the C.L. & M.F. Weld Park Stakes earlier in the afternoon.
Having dominated her rivals in a valuable nursery at Doncaster last week, Karl Burke's filly was due to step up in class in Saturday's Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr, but the abandonment of that fixture led to her making a last minute trip to Ireland.
She was a 10-1 shot for the Group Three assignment under Colm O'Donoghue and after hitting the front over a furlong out, she stuck to her task well against the far rail to prevail by two and three quarter lengths.
Aidan O'Brien's pair of Sizzling and Ballet Shoes were second and third respectively.
Burke said: "Obviously she is a talented filly, but she has just suffered with being in season all summer really. Every time we took her away she was in season and not performing.
"There is a little bit of temperament to her which when she uses in the right way she is very useful.
"I'm not sure if she will run again. We were thinking if she nicked a bit of black type we would probably pack her in for the year but Colm said she did that pretty easily and was a bit lonely in front.
"So we might look for something else yet."
Renneti eases to Loughbrown win
Pat Smullen steered the Willie Mullins-trained Renneti to a clear-cut success in the Group Three Loughbrown Stakes.
The eight-year-old bolted up in a conditions race at the Galway Festival, but had since finished down the field in the Irish St Leger Trial and a valuable handicap at Leopardstown.
Back in a smaller field, he was the 4-5 favourite to get his season back on track and Renneti saw out the two-mile distance well to score by five lengths. Stars Over The Sea was a clear second.
Mullins confirmed the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup could be Renneti's next port of call.
He said: "Hopefully at this time of year he will keep getting the ground he likes with plenty of dig in it.
"He'll probably stick to this sort of trip and he could go for the race in Ascot.
Sky Bet left Renneti unchanged at 16/1 for the Qipco Long Distance Cup at Ascot.
One-two for Midgley raiders
Paul Midgley enjoyed a one-two in the Joe McGrath Handicap, with Leigh Roche guiding 10-1 shot Tylery Wonder to a clear-cut victory over stablemate Monsieur Joe.
Monsieur Joe was the better fancied of the two at 5-1, but Tylery Wonder never looked in serious danger of being caught in the final furlong and was good value for his one-and-a-half-length win.
Tylery Wonder was winning this prize for the second time having struck gold in 2015 when trained by Willie McCreery.
Midgley said: "It's a nice surprise to be perfectly honest, as I thought the ground would be too slow for him (Tylery Wonder). He got a length out of the gate and never really looked like he was going to get beat.
"He battled away good on ground that is probably too slow for him.
"Monsieur Joe has run great as well. Age is probably catching up a little bit with him but he's still got plenty of will to win.
"I think Tylery Wonder finished fourth in this race last year and won it the year before. He won too well at York (in July) and the handicapper murdered him.
"It's taken him until now to get back to a winning mark."
McMunigal impresses on debut
Mcmunigal made a successful debut for trainer Ger Lyons in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Naas.
A field of 15 unraced juveniles went to post for the seven-furlong opener in County Kildare, with Mcmunigal a 13-2 chance in the hands of title-chasing Colin Keane.
The gelded two-year-old tracked the pacesetters until early in the home straight and showed a smart change of gear to to assert in the final furlong.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained James Cook, a full-brother to Breeders' Cup Turf and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Found, was a big eyecatcher in second, beaten four lengths.
James Cook's fellow 3-1 joint-favourite Loving A Boom raced on the pace before fading into third.
Lyons said: "He's a horse that came to me from the breeze-ups. He's had a winter coat all summer, hence we took our time. He was a rig so we operated and let him get over it.
"He wasn't coming in his coat and we chose this race a while ago. The coat didn't matter at this stage.
"What you have seen there is what he's been at home. Anything I've asked of him he's done.
"He's very laid back and Colin said he floated through the ground. He's not ground dependant and there should be huge improvement as he was green when he hit the front.
"I'm not sure if we will run him again this year. We could come back here for the Tetrarch next year. Something like that, but we won't be in a rush with him."
Powersville edges it
Powersville claimed a narrow victory in the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race.
The Tom Mullins-trained filly was turning out just four days after finishing sixth in a nursery at Fairyhouse and was a 16-1 shot under Niall McCullagh.
The Broghie Man led inside the last of six furlongs, but Powersville picked him off and had just enough in the tank to hold the fast-finishing Sunday Smart at bay by a head.
Curragh maiden winner Would You Believe was all the rage as the 7-4 favourite and was still in with every chance when appearing to lose his action. He was pulled up and dismounted by Colin Keane.
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