A review of the rest of the action from the Curragh on the second day of Irish Champions Weekend.
Cayenne flies home in Blanford Stakes
Cayenne Pepper won the Group Two Moyglare "Jewels" Blanford Stakes in taking fashion.
Jessica Harrington's filly sat second through the early stages, tracking the front-running Amma Grace who stuck to her task well to be second at 50/1.
Cayenne Pepper, twice runner-up in Group One earlier in the season before filling the same spot over a mile and a half in the Group Three Give Thanks Stakes last time, really enjoyed the drop back to 10 furlongs and she positively sprouted wings for Shane Foley when quickening into the straight.
The rest of the field were soon sending out distress signals and the winner poured it on the final furlong to win going away from Dermot Weld's Amma Grace, with the Joseph O'Brien-trained Thundering Nights faring best of the rest in third.
The disappointment of the race was 9/4 market leader Magic Wand, who didn't break particularly well from the stalls and failed to pick up when asked for her effort having tracked the winner in a share of third in the first half of the race.
Foley said: "She's a filly I always thought a lot of last year and I said in the last couple of weeks she's only just coming back to hand. I always felt last year she'd be very good and hopefully she stays in training next year.
"That's her trip, a strongly-run 10 (furlongs) with some ease in the ground. It's been a good weekend, hopefully it can get better yet."
Paddy Power cut the winner to 8/1 from 20s for the Prix de l'Opera.
Assistant trainer Kate Harrington said: “That was the true Cayenne Pepper. She got a good tow into the race and was really impressive.
“We had a lot of issues with her in the spring and today was the first day she looked well and strong.
“She’s in the Prix de l’Opera, but I think Alpine Star goes there. She’s got an invite for the QEII at the Keeneland and she could stay over there for the Breeders’ Cup.
“It’s sad that Jon Kelly (owner) wasn’t around to see her, but he’ll be up there looking down on her. He passed away a week after the Oaks. It’s lovely for her to win, but it’s a bit emotional.
“We might go to America with her for Sarah (Kelly) to see her, providing everything is OK.
“We’ll let the dust settle and see how she is this week.”
Lupton lands Bold Lad gamble
Colin Keane guided the Richard Fahey-trained Mr Lupton to a popular victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Bold Lad" Sprint Handicap at the Curragh.
The well-handicapped seven-year-old - a Group Two winner over the same course and distance last season - was well-backed throughout the day ahead of the opening race on Irish Champions Weekend Sunday, and ultimately got the job done as the 11/2 favourite with a bit to spare.
Never far off the pace in the smaller group of runners towards far side of the track, Mr Lupton really started to lay down his challenge with a couple of furlongs to travel and he responded well to the urgings of an in-form Keane, going on to score by half a length from Balirmayne (25/1) with a short-head to third Lil Grey (50/1) and another neck back to Laugh A Minute at 25/1 in fourth. Fifth and sixth went to Verhoyen (33/1) and Romantic Proposal (13/2).
Keane and Fahey also team up later on the card courtesy of Shark Two One in the big sales race at 5.15.
Keane said: "You can't ask for any more, it's been a brilliant weekend.
"On his last run he looked like a horse that was coming back to form, I spoke to Richard this morning and he said to keep it simple. It couldn't hard worked out better as we got a lead and he really quickened between the two and the one.
"He was possibly getting lonely towards the line but he's done it well."
Fahey said: “He’s a wonderful horse. He’d lost his way a bit, but at least it gave him a chance to come back to handicaps and we’re delighted with him – he’s a star.
“All going well the plan is to take him to the Ayr Gold Cup next week. We were going to go straight there, but the prize-money on offer today took over – it was a good prize to win.”
Fahey and Keane then doubled up when Shark One Two (20-1) won the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes.
It was a fourth winner of the weekend for Keane.
“Talking to Richard he was a little bit bullish and he was right. He quickened up well and you couldn’t be happier,” said Keane.
Sonnyboyliston defied a 13lb rise in the weights to round off a great weekend for Johnny Murtagh in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Northfields” Handicap, under Billy Lee.
