A late gamble on Handassa (11/2 into 7/2 favourite) paid dividends for her supporters as she stayed on best to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Listed Garnet Stakes providing her trainer Kevin Prendergast and her rider Declan McDonagh with a double for the afternoon.
The daughter of Dubawi won her maiden in impressive fashion late last season at the Curragh. Sent off the 11/4 favourite on her first start of 2011 she could only manage fourth in the Group 3, Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown.
She next appeared in the 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh where she ran a decent race to finish just under six lengths, eighth to Misty For Me.
She took a break after that run and was last seen in Gowran late last month finishing a disappointing sixth in the Group 3, Denny Cordell Lavarack Stakes behind Flowers Of Spring.
Today, Empowering attempted to make all under Joseph O’Brien but the winner responded well to pressure and stayed on best to get on top inside the last 100 yards before going on to score by two lengths. Hurricane Havoc at 8/1 for Kevin Manning and Jim Bolger just denied Empowering (9/2) second place by a neck.
Winning trainer Kevin Prendergast said afterwards: "She loves easy ground. She ran well at Gowran last time out when the ground was like the road although the official description was good to yielding.
"She flew up the hill today. She was only beaten five lengths in the 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh on fast ground which she doesn’t like.
"I don’t know whether she will stay in training now, it's up to the boss (her owner, Hamdan Al Maktoum). He usually doesn't keep them on the go."
