Tarn goes on from Intensified close home© Photo Healy Racing
With the defection of Dove Mountain, Intensified was sent off the 1/5 favourite for the opening contest on Derby day at the Curragh, the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise EBF Maiden.
However, after finishing second on his first two career starts, the Jim Bolger trained colt had to settle for the runner-up position yet again, as the Tommy Stack trained newcomer Tarn (7/1) landed the spoils under Wayne Lordan.
The daughter of Royal Applause was settled behind the leaders in fourth, before she was switched to the outer with a furlong left to race.
Intensified hit the front inside the final furlong but he had no answer to the winner, as she came with her challenge on the outside, hitting the front in the final 100 yards, going on to score by three parts of a length at the line.
Fozzy Stack said afterwards; "She’s been going nicely at home and she quickened up well.
"Bolger’s horse looked hard to beat beforehand but I would have been disappointed if we weren’t at least second.
"Hopefully she will come out of this well and we might look at something like the Anglessey Stakes."
Stack went on to talk about Alive Alive Oh, who runs in the feature race tomorrow, the Pretty Polly Stakes, he said; "She’s in good form. I won’t walk the track until tomorrow and we are looking forward to it."
Tarn was a relatively cheap purchase at Tattersalls last November, going for just
13,500 Guineas.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
