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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Gesture impresses on Irish debut

Wed 3rd May 2023, 18:25

Final Gesture and Billy Lee Final Gesture and Billy Lee
© Photo Healy Racing

Final Gesture made a big impression on her first outing for Paddy Twomey when running away with the Vintage Tipple Stakes at Gowran Park.

The beautifully-bred daughter of Dubawi had cost 925,000 euro at the sales last December and made a perfect start for new owner Bobby Flay.

Billy Lee tracked the front-running Icykel on the 4/1 joint-favourite before asking his mount to hit the front early in the straight in the mile-six listed contest.

Final Gesture soon settled matters by scooting a few lengths clear and Lee was looking around for non-existent dangers in the closing stages as he eased up for a five-length win over 25/1 shot Joupe

The winner, who had been placed in listed company in France, is out of Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture who is herself a sister to Japan and Mogul.

Lee said afterwards:- “She travelled well and I sat in behind a few past the straight here the first time as I didn’t want to set her alight. She settled beautifully through the race.

“It opened up down the back straight and I let her go forward. She travelled turning in and picked up well. I had to keep at her thinking she was starting to pull up with me a bit and when I had a look around didn’t realise I was as far in front.

“She does it impressively and is a lovely filly. She had been running over a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half in France but has no problem going this trip and I’d say two miles into the future.

“She has a beautiful pedigree by Dubawi out of Secret Gesture, she is bred in the purple. She cost a lot of money but hopefully will start repaying that.”

(Quotes by Alan Magee)

1st
4/1JFav
Tote €5.00 €2.00
2nd
5L
25/1
€5.60
3rd
2L
11/2
€1.80
4th
nk
50/1
bf
nose
4/1JFav
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.