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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Keatley Jet Setting his way to Group 3 glory

Sun 10th Apr 2016, 15:53

Jet Setting and Shane Foley dominate at LeopardstownJet Setting and Shane Foley dominate at Leopardstown
© Photo Healy Racing

Jet Setting made every yard and maintained the gallop at the business end to comprehensively win the Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes.

Adrain Keatley 's filly travelled sweetly throughout for Shane Foley in this Group Three contest.

She was shaken up over two furlongs out as Now Or Never tried to make ground in second. The remaining seven runners had plenty on their plate to reel in the front two.

Jet Setting was ridden approaching the final furlong and closed out the race well as she readily repelled Now Or Never by three lengths.

Shane Foley said: "She loves that ground. She won her maiden in Cork in very testing conditions and today she was dropping back to seven (furlongs) and I knew she would get the trip well. She took me along well and enjoyed it.

"I rode her last week and she seemed to have improved from Cork and I just said when I came in in Cork that she would have no bother getting black type once the ground is like that. She handles it really, really well. It felt like good ground to her and it's hard, tacky ground but she just skips along through it for a small filly but she's all heart.

"I think a mile is probably ideal for her. She's entitled to step up again. The key to her is that slow ground. Look he might pick something like the German Guineas or something like that where he might get slow and testing ground and if she did get it she'd be well capable of running in it and well up to running in it.

"He said 'ride her like the grey lad last year (Success Days)' so at least it worked and thank God it paid off."

Adrian Keatley added: “I'm delighted with that. That was her day in the sun.

“Hopefully she can progress. The ground would want to be soft if we were thinking about the Guineas this side of the water but we'll have a very strong look at the German Guineas. It's bound to be soft there, it usually is.

“Shane said the ground felt like good ground on her today. She's effective on it.

“She was a good purchase (12,000gns) and it's job done even if she never wins again.

“It's my second full season with a licence and they all seem healthy in the new facility. Things are going well.”

Jet Setting shortened from 18/1 this morning to 11/2 on the off. How High The Moon was a notable non runner.

Now Or Never took second at 7/1 while 5/4 favourite Alice Springs could make no impression in third, beaten five and three quarter lengths by the winner.

Jet Setting was formerly trained by Richard Hannon.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.