Aidan O'Brien saddled his 14th Group 1 winner of the season when Quarter Moon landed the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.
The 7/2 favourite, runner-up to Saranac Lake on her debut in Group 3 company here a fortnight ago, came through strongly on the stands side inside the final quarter mile to deny the sponsors runner Dress To Thrill by three quarters of a length. The O'Brien-trained Sophisticat - gamble of the race from 8/1 to 4/1 - held every chance just a neck further back in third.
'From the first day she has always looked special, and Michael (Kinane) gave her a lovely introduction here the last day. She is very green, and will have learned a good bit today. She is in all the good races, but may not run again this season', said the Ballydoyle handler afterwards. Cashmans reacted by making the daughter of Sadler's Wells their 12/1 second favourite, behind 10/1 Gossamer, for the Sagitta 1,000 Guineas.
Steaming Home heads next for the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket after justifying favouritism in the Listed Go And Go Round Tower Stakes. Pat Smullen sent the American bred filly past the pace-setting Minashki approaching the furlong pole, and she kept on well to score by a length and a half. 'She has alot of speed, and a lovely attitude. She is as tough as teek, and is progressing nicely', said trainer Dermot Weld.
Weld and Smullen doubled up half-an-hour later when Chill Seeking upset hot-pot Snowflake in the Lisieux Rose Maiden. The Moyglare Stud home-bred ranged alongside the odds-on favourite early in the straight, and stretched clear from the furlong pole to score by seven lengths.
John Murtagh was given a two days suspension for failing to ride out for fourth place aboard Kropotkin, and the former champion was also ordered to forfeit his riding fee.
Local apprentice Victoria Hughes, 19, partnered her third, and easily her most important, success when getting Osprey Ridge up in the final strides to touch off Montpelier Street in the #50,000 EBF Irish Cambridgeshire.
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