Pivotal Attack wins Corrib Fillies Stakes under Carroll

Having won her maiden over course and distance at last years festival, Pivotal Attack once again showed her liking for the track when landing the Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes (Listed Race) at Galway.

Sent off 3/1 under Gary Carroll, the Joseph Murphy trained filly sat second just off race leader La Brodeuse for much of the contest.

Pushed along to challenge at the furlong pole, Pivotal Attack led over 150 yards out, staying on well to win by one-and-a-half lengths for owner Robert Moran. Meriden stayed on well inside the final furlong to get up for second, with long time leader La Brodeuse back in third.

Joseph Murphy, sending out his first winner since October, said: "This is a big relief as sometimes you are left wondering, am I praying to the right Gods! We had been placed in premier handicaps and group races, but have had no winner. It is like going to the mart and not getting any money for a calf.

"We were delighted with the way she ran at Killarney and hopefully this will turn the corner. In racing, you live with it and celebrate the good days. They'll eventually come back to form and my owners are forgiving as well, and have stayed loyal.

"We only have 35 horses, so to compete at that level in Ireland is very hard and then you see the entries for a stakes race with 58 two-year-olds, and 42 of them are O'Brien's. That's the way racing has gone and we're like the darts player with only one dart to throw.

"We don't know why the horses were out of form although we do have this new transition of vaccinating horses every six month, instead of nine, which might have had a bearing on it. Maybe we have to manage that a bit better."

(Quotes by Thomas Weekes).