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Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Pleascach blitzes her rivals in the Blue Wind

Wed 13th May 2015, 19:34

Pleascach comes home an easy winner under Kevin ManningPleascach comes home an easy winner under Kevin Manning
© Photo Healy Racing

Pleascach ran out an a decisive winner of the feature at Naas this evening, the Group 3 Irish National Stud EBF Blue Wind Stakes, providing Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning with a double on the card (earlier scored with Round Two .

The daughter of Teofilo (also the sire of Round Two) was available at 7/4 last night but she was well-supported throughout the day and opened on-course at 9/10 before going off the clear 10/11 favourite.

Having raced mainly in fourth she was niggled along entering the straight but she soon loomed large on the outer.

She was ridden to lead two furlongs out she soon went clear, going on to score by an impressive eight and a half lengths. Zannda who was 13/8 last night, finished second under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld at 11/4 while Queen Of Alba (25/1) was a further four and three parts of a length back in third under Rory Cleary for his father Tom.

Jim Bolger said afterwards: "She's a lovely straight-forward filly and came on a nice bit from Navan. Hopefully she'll keep coming on.

"I don't think a mile-and-a-half will be a problem. I've always been impressed by her and I've some decisions to make now.

"Either it'll be back to a mile or up to a mile-and-a-half. The Irish Guineas is a possible and she's in the Ribblesdale. She has many options. She's also in the Irish Oaks.

"She's in the Epsom Oaks but that wouldn't be certain. She's a long striding filly but maybe her class would get her by. I wouldn't be huge on it at the moment though.

"The Ribblesdale and the Irish Oaks is probably the most likely route. Lucida will go to Ascot for the Coronation."

Betfair reacted by cutting Pleascach to 12/1 (from 20/1) for the Epsom classic, while they pushed out Zannda to 33/1 (from 16/1).

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.