Ballet Shoes leads home New To Town© Photo Healy Racing
The Aidan O'Brien trained Ballet Shoes got off the mark on her second start, as she took the opener at the Curragh this afternoon, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
A good fifth on her debut at Naas last month, the daughter of Galileo went off a 7/4 joint-favourite this afternoon. New To Town was the other joint-favourite, and she went sent to the front after a couple of furlongs, with Ballet Shoes settling in second.
The Donnacha O'Brien ridden victor came under pressure a furlong and a half from home, and she soon closed on the leader, hitting the front inside the final 150 yards, before going on to score by a length and a half.
New To Town had to settle for second under Kevin Manning for Jim Bolger, while the easy to back Adaliya (9/1) was a further two and a quarter lengths away in third with Pat Smullen in the saddle for Mick Halford.
"I didn't have a whole lot to do with her at home but I rode her work two weeks ago and loved her," said Donnacha O'Brien.
"I asked Dad if we could run her here and she's a really nice filly. I like her."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
