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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

"Difficult" Pretending impresses

Tue 7th May 2013, 18:53

Just Pretending Just Pretending
© Photo Healy Racing

Just Pretending was friendless before the off in the Slane Fillies Maiden at Navan but ran out an impressive winner none-the-less.

The Ballydoyle filly opened up at 11/10 on course but was returned 7/4 as they jumped in the mile contest.

She tracked Cocktail Hour throughout before tackling the front-runner a furlong and a half out.

The daughter of Giant's Causeway soon hit the lead and quickened clear inside the final furlong to post a four-and-a-half length victory.

The winner had been a big eye-catcher at Dundalk last month when staying on late into third.

“She's a very difficult mare. Seamie (Heffernan) rode her the last day and said to try her in a hood and it seems to have helped her,” said Joseph O'Brien afterwards.

“He also said whatever you do don't hit her. She showed today that there is a bit of ability there and hopefully she can progress. She's a very well-bred filly.”

The winner is a half-sister to the Grade 3 winner in the US called The Leopard, who cost $2,500,000 as a two-year-old.

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)

1st
7/4Fav
Tote €3.10 €1.40
2nd
4.5L
7/2
€1.40
3rd
1.25L
10/1
€3.10
4th
0.75L
25/1
About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.