Princess Child lands dramatic renewal of Fairy Bridge Stakes Recent Galway festival winner Princess Child stepped up in grade to land a dramatic renewal of the Group 3 Coolmore Stud No Nay Never Fairy Bridge Stakes (Fillies & Mares) at Tipperary. Sent off 3/1 under Dylan Browne McMonagle, the Joseph O'Brien trained filly sat mid division in the early stages of the race. Declan McDonogh came wide into the straight on leader Mataariki, in the process badly hampering Chantez, Fingerpaint, Celestial Orbit and to a lesser extent, Princess Child. That allowed Queen Of Thunder to come through to lead at the furlong pole, looking all over a winner as she kicked for home under Chris Hayes. However, Princess Child, who moved second at that point, produced her now customary late burst of speed to join the leader in the dying strides. A subsequent photo revealed that the O'Brien trained four-year-old had got up right on the line to win by a short head. Joseph O'Brien said: "If any horse ever deserved to win a stakes race it was her, although you don't always get what you deserve. She met a bit of trouble in-running but hit the line strong and while it was a head-bobber, she had previously come out the wrong side of a few tight finishes in her career. "We had been campaigning her aggressively to try and win a stakes race and while she built a load of black-type, to win a group race is great. I'd say it will be a career-best on the figures and I thought she won the hard way. "She is a group winner now so it is job done although we might look to win another one now." Declan McDonogh later received a seven day ban for careless riding. Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.
