Friendless Lady confirms her superiority

Lady Wingshot took the feature race at Tipperary this evening, the Group 3 Fairy Bridge Stakes, as she confirmed her superiority over Yellow Rosebud

Trained by Jim Bolger and ridden by Kevin Manning, the 3yo daughter of Lawman just held on to beat Yellow Rosebud by a head in the Listed Corrib Stakes at the Galway Festival.

Lady Wingshot was friendless in the market today and having opened at 7/2 overnight with Paddy Powers she took a walk all the way out to 7/1 at the off (opened 11/2 on-course).

Yellow Rosebud on the other hand opened the 5/2 overnight with Paddy Powers and went off the 2/1 jolly after opening on track at 15/8. After racing in mid-division early on, Lady Wingshot was sixth at the halfway stage before she made headway into third two furlongs out.

She came with her challenge a furlong and a half from home before hitting the front over a furlong out and keeping on well from there to score by half a length at the line.

Yellow Rosebud under Shane Foley (Pat Smullen in York) couldn't match the winner and had to settle for second yet again while English raider Boastful was a further three parts of a length back in third at 11/2 under Martin Harley for Karl and Elaine Burke.

John O'Connor from Ballylinch Stud (winning owners) said afterwards: "I’m delighted with that.

"This race suits us as we won it before with Modeeroch (2006) and we were second in it last year with Anam Allta.

"She is steadily progressing and Jim (Bolger) was confident she had progressed since her last run.

"She didn’t get the run of the race two runs back (5th in Sweet Mimosa Stakes at Naas behind Empowering .

"She will probably come back here for the Concorde Stakes and she has plenty of entries and lots of speed.

"She is entered in the Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh, a six furlong race at Ascot on Champions Day and a seven furlong race at Longchamp on Arc weekend.

"She has a nice pedigree and could stay in training next year."

(On-course reporting by Thomas Weekes)