Promised Money (Pat Smullen, nearside) beats (l to r), China Eyes, Jealous Beauty and Gift Wrap© Photo Healy Racing
We all know that the benefit of a run to any horse, let alone a two-year-old, can't be underestimated, and so it proved again when Promised Money stepped up significantly on her debut effort, to land the opening Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden at Cork.
Annette O'Callaghan's home-bred daughter of Dark Angel didn't come up to expectations at Navan last Sunday, when tenth, when well-supported, but it was a different story on this occasion.
Here, under Pat Smullen, 4/1 chance (definitely had her supporters again) Promised Money got home a neck and one and a quarter lengths from Jealous Beauty and the very promising newcomer, Last Waltz
"I thought she'd run very well the first day but she seemed to get stage-fright or whatever, I don't know. As green as she was today, she still showed a little bit of what we think of her and I think with racing she'll improve - I like her a lot," disclosed winning trainer Eddie Lynam.
When asked whether he was disappointed with Promised Money's Sunday effort, Lynam exclaimed: "That's an understatement, I was heartbroken!"
The Stewards requested a report from Edward Lynam, trainer, as to the apparent improvement in form of Promised Money, placed first, as compared with its run at Navan last Sunday.
Edward Lynam reported that this filly made her course debut at Navan and ran disappointingly for no apparent reason. He stated that the filly put on 4kg for that run and returned to normal exercise during the week by cantering on Wednesday and breezing yesterday.
He further added that because of the lack of opportunities and the manner in which she returned to training that he decided to let her run today. In his opinion she showed the promise today that she had been showing in her homework. Having considered the evidence the Stewards noted the content of the report.
(TW & EM)
