Eleanora Duse justified favouritism in the Group 2 www.thetote.com Blandford Stakes when holding on by the minimum margin from She's Our Mark at the Curragh. Lush Lashes led two furlongs out but she was headed well inside the last by Eleanora Duse. However She's Our Mark came home well only to be denied by a short head by the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ryan Moore-ridden victor.
Peter Reynolds from the successful owners, Ballymacoll Stud, said: "Ryan said it was a messy race as the pace was very slow. They dawdled and he (Ryan) always had to be where he was. The ground was a bit sticky and she is more of a mile and a half filly.
"That's our best win of the year. We have no Conduit this year. Eleanora Duse is a good tough mare and she is improving. Hopefully she'll race for us next year too.
"She is in a Group 2 on the Saturday of the Arc weekend but she might have enough done now. We'll leave it up to Sir Michael."
When queried as to whether he'd known he'd won Ryan Moore said: "I thought I'd had but it was close."
