Sport

Rose Bonheur thrives over seven-furlong Listed trip

RACING: KEVIN PRENDERGAST’S Rose Bonheur may have had her limitations exposed in the Irish 1,000 Guineas but she was well up…

Tue Jun 07 2011 - 01:00

RACING:KEVIN PRENDERGAST'S Rose Bonheur may have had her limitations exposed in the Irish 1,000 Guineas but she was well up to taking the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes at Naas yesterday.

Prior to her lacklustre show in Classic company, the three-year-old had won over sprint distances at Tipperary and at this track and showed seven furlongs was within her range this time.

The well supported 9 to 2 favourite travelled kindly throughout in the hands of stable jockey Declan McDonogh and once asked to go about her business, Rose Bonheur soon sprinted clear, coming home two lengths ahead of Blaze Brightly.

It was the second leg of a quickfire double for the trainer and jockey, having struck in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden with 13 to 2 shot Brown Butterfly. Prendergast said: “She won well. Her Guineas run was good. She was only beaten just over six lengths. Seven furlongs is probably her trip.

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“We’ll probably go for a Group Three over seven furlongs next. There’s a couple coming up over the next month to six weeks. She is very consistent and on her Guineas run had to have a big chance today.”

Richard Hannon’s British raider, Lilbourne Lad, annihilated the opposition in the Alfred Nobel Rochestown Stakes. Notably the only ride on the card for Richard Hughes, the 9 to 4 chance was soon tanking along at the head of affairs. The opposition were queuing up in behind, all of whom were previous winners, but none were in the same class as Lilbourne Lad.

Once Hughes gave the youngster his head, he quickly put daylight between himself and his rivals and he was not hard pressed to come home six lengths clear of Snowflake Dancer.

Assistant trainer Richard Hannon jnr said: “He’s a very nice horse and we have always liked him a lot. We were a bit disappointed he got beaten on his second run. I think it was a lack of experience and also giving the winner three pounds.

“It was a really good performance today. We’ll have to look at Ascot after that and he’s also in a lot of the sales races.”

Teolane recorded her second successive victory with a determined display in the Coolmore Stud EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes. The well-supported Princess Sinead gave chase, but was two and a half lengths away at the finish.