Tag Archive for: Giselle

Whirl surprises stablemate with Staffordstown success

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Whirl upstaged her better fancied stablemate Giselle to claim Group Three honours in the Staffordstown Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

Second to high-class stablemate Bedtime Story as an odds-on favourite for her debut at Leopardstown in June, Giselle went one better at this venue earlier in the month, seeing her move towards the top of ante-post lists for next year’s 1000 Guineas.

The Frankel filly was a 10-11 shot to enhance her Classic claims under Ryan Moore, but after being given a patient ride she was unable to pick up sufficiently from her wide position and passed the post a close-up fourth, but was later promoted to third following a stewards’ inquiry.

Whirl, who had opened her account at the third time of asking at Doncaster last month, dug deep from the front end in the hands of Wayne Lordan to secure top honours by half a length from Joseph O’Brien’s And So To Bed.

“I’m delighted with them, they ran very well. Ryan’s filly was a bit babyish and a bit green. He was trying to teach her, which was the right thing to do,” said O’Brien.

“He was delighted with her. He said she wasn’t there yet, he said she got there and got a little bit tired with him. She had a big hold-up and I ran her because I thought we’d get Ryan over because I needed him to sit on her again. The experience will do her good for next year.

“Wayne’s filly has more experience, she got out there and is tough and found plenty. He gave her a lovely ride, he went his pace and was left alone in front.

“It’s amazing with those Wootton Bassetts, one after another they are coming. They just get better the more you train them.”

Rubies Are Red was a deserved winner
Rubies Are Red was a deserved winner (Gary Carson/PA)

The Ballydoyle handler went on to complete a double, with Rubies Are Red belatedly breaking her duck in the Bill Hanlon Memorial Fillies Maiden.

The Galileo filly was second in the Lingfield Oaks Trial in the spring and went on to contest the Oaks at Epsom, the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Irish Oaks at the Curragh without managing to trouble the judge.

She was a beaten favourite in successive maiden starts after that and came up short in a Group Three last time out, but finally got the job done under Moore, scoring by three-quarters of a length as a 2-1 market leader.

“He gave her a class ride, as always. She has a lot of ability and Ryan said she’d be way better in a better race,” said O’Brien.

“That’s important for her. There is probably not much left for her, there is the Finale Stakes back here on the last day (of the season) and we might see her again in that.”

Joseph O’Brien had earlier unearthed a potential Classic prospect in the form of impressive debut winner Saracen.

The Acclamation colt was snapped up for €500,000 as a yearling last summer and was a 3-1 shot for his introduction in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Always travelling well in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle, Saracen quickened up smartly once given his head and passed the post with four lengths in hand over Pickersgill.

Saracen with connections at the Curragh (
Saracen with connections at the Curragh (Gary Carson/PA)

“He was impressive, he’s a nice colt and had been showing up well at home,” said O’Brien.

“He was going to make his debut a few weeks ago but just had a little setback.

“He quickened up really smartly there and looks like a smart horse for next season.

“I’m delighted to have what looks like a good horse for Al Shaqab and the team. They’ve been good supporters of ours.

“This guy will come back for a Guineas trial in the spring.”



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Giselle puts down Classic marker for O’Brien at the Curragh

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Giselle added her name to Aidan O’Brien’s incredibly strong team of juvenile fillies in winning at the Curragh.

Beaten on her debut by stablemate Bedtime Story – when she returned with a cut – the regally-bred two-year-old is by Frankel out of the Breeders’ Cup-winning Newspaperofrecord and is now among the favourites for next year’s Classics.

O’Brien already has the aforementioned Bedtime Story, the unbeaten Lake Victoria, Royal Ascot winner Fairy Godmother and the promising Dreamy to look forward to next year.

Ridden by Wayne Lordan with Ryan Moore in action in France, Giselle justified 1-2 favouritism by three-quarters of a length in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, looking value for much more.

O’Brien, speaking at ParisLongchamp, said: “I’m delighted with her, she was coming back after a long break and she’s going to be lovely we think next year.

“She had a lovely run behind Bedtime Story and got injured and was just ready to start back.”

When asked whether she would run again this season, he added: “Maybe, but maybe not, we’ll see how she is.

“She looks like a Guineas/Oaks filly.”

Chris Armstrong, O’Brien’s representative at the Curragh, said: “She’s a smashing filly, she’s a filly with a lot of class.

“Obviously there is a fair bit of hype about her from the last day and you can see today that she has come on a lot physically. She’s going to be a smashing big filly for next year.

“It’s great to get her out and get the win under her belt. We’ll see about possibly getting one more run into her, we’ll see how she comes through this.

“She’s a filly with an awful lot of class and one to look forward to next year. All being well she’ll rock up in all the big fillies’ races.

“Coming here she was only just ready to start and she was a little bit fresh in herself. Wayne said she was only half-speeding the whole way and she wasn’t too fresh throughout the run.

“It’s great that she’s doing things right.

“She’s actually like a colt, walking away from you. She’s a filly with a big engine.”



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Bedtime Story leads home Frankel one-two for O’Brien

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Bedtime Story upset the script when getting the better of strongly-fancied stablemate Giselle in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown.

Both of Aidan O’Brien’s debutants are impeccably-bred daughters of Frankel, but the latter carried more confidence as the 8-11 favourite, with Ryan Moore on board.

However, Moore never quite looked comfortable on Giselle, who is out of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Newspaperofrecord, and despite staying on well enough, she had no answer to the late surge of 5-1 shot Bedtime Story.

The winner, herself out of dual Nunthorpe victor Mecca’s Angel, who has already produced one classy offspring in Content, put in a more professional performance under Wayne Lordan and quickened up to score by a length and a quarter.

O’Brien’s representative Chris Armstrong said: “They are two lovely fillies going forward. There wasn’t much between them at home, and it was a tough choice for Ryan.

“Both fillies were quite green through the race and Wayne’s filly probably got an easier run at it.

“Before the race, they were both in the mix for the Chesham and you can’t really take much away from Ryan’s filly. We’ll see how they come through it and at the moment they are both in the mix.

“Wayne said when she steps up in trip again, she will be a fine filly for the backend.

“She has plenty of class and has an unbelievable pedigree.”



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