David Wachman and Wayne Lordan continued their rich run of form when they teamed up with a treble, all of whom were fillies, at Gowran Park on Sunday.
Anna Karenina provided the second leg of the treble when getting up by a head in the feature race, the Victor McCalmount Memorial Listed Stakes. The four year old had to battle hard to shrug off the challenge of Dimenticata with Chris Hayes up and the line just came in time as the fast finishing Diamond Necklace was only a further neck back in third.
'She is a nice filly and a mile is her trip so she will go to the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes at the Curragh on Guineas weekend,' revealed the Tipperary handler.
The treble was instigated when Magic Carpet got the better of the well supported Thoughtless Moment (5/2f) in another ding dong battle inside the final two furlongs of the Fillies Maiden.
Only a neck could separate the pair who went 11 lengths clear of Khatinza in third. Now a step up in trip could be on the cards for David Wachman's winning debutant.
'I am sure we saw two nice fillies and I will be stepping mine up in trip now as seven furlongs is her minimum trip. She was only getting going inside the last 150 yards and Wayne said she ran a little green. We will probably go up to stakes company next,' said Wachman.
Backed from 10/1 to 3/1 on course Navajo Moon completed the treble when scoring by two and a half lengths from another well backed runner Gunga Din. The three year old by Danehill was pushed along inside the final furlong by Wayne Lordan and his supporters money never really looked in doubt.
'She was a slow learner but looked to win quite snugly there. We will step her up to Stakes company now,' said the winning trainer.
Meanwhile there was also a double on the card for Aidan O'Brien and his in form jockey Seamie Heffernan. It began in the opener when Henrythenavigator won in ultra impressive fashion for the in form team. Winning trainer Aidan O'Brien was in Newmarket at the Guineas but was sure to be very pleased with his charge who was so eye-catching that after the race Cashmans quoted him as a 20/1 shot for next years English Derby. .
A two year old colt by Kingmambo, the winner picked it up from Dick Morris early on in proceedings and when asked to go on two furlongs out, asserted with ease on his way to a seven length success.
Speaking from Newmarket O'Brien commented, 'Our two year olds look good and Henrythenavigator looks like he could be a Royal Ascot horse.'
O'Brien and Heffernan completed their double when Mahler obliged at odds of 4/5 (from 11/10) in the Pricewaterhousecoppers Classic Trial over a mile and a half. The three year old made all the running and scored by five lengths from Ezima back in second.
Cheyenne Star showed no difficulty in carrying the burden of top weight in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap. Trained by Francis Crowley the four year old tracked the leaders before picking up the running on the turn in and went on to score by an impressive three and a half lengths.
Placed in Listed company last season another attempt in that company is now the plan according to winning jockey and husband to winning trainer Pat Smullen. 'She quickened away well and handled the ground well. We always thought a lot of her and she will go back to a Listed race now. Hopefully she will be good enough to win one this season.'
