Softly Tread wins again

Softly Tread booked her place in the line-up for the Irish 1000 Guineas next month when extending her winning sequence in the featured Castlemartin and La Louviere Studs Gladness Stakes at the Curragh this afternoon.

Successful by the minimum margin on both her starts last season, 11-2 third favourite Softly Tread was an impressive two lengths scorer over Social Harmony.

The evens favourite Perigee Moon faded badly as the tempo quickened and finished sixth of the seven runners in this Group Three event.

Champion jockey Pat Smullen, who had switched to Social Harmony when his intended mount Pine Dance was withdrawn because of the heavy ground, took the lead from the favourite under two furlongs out with Softly Tread travelling well in the hands of Pat Shanahan.

In the final furlong the winner was extending her lead to delight trainer Con Collins, who expects the daughter of Tirol to prove much better suited to drier ground.

'You will see how she would prefer better going when she runs next in the Irish 1000 Guineas. She has progressed well over the winter and I am very pleased with that run,' said the trainer.

Collins also bred Softly Tread before selling her on to leading Italian owner Antonio Balzarini.

Perigee Moon, who also went into the race with two wins from as many outings as a juvenile, was later reported to be 'distressed' by the Turf Club vet.

A spokesman for trainer Aidan O`Brian reported that the American-bred filly 'did not handle the ground'.

Trainer John Oxx produced a potentially high-class performer when the Aga Khan`s home-bred Rayyana justified favouritism in taking fashion.

'This is a smart filly which was fit and well, but the very soft ground was a concern to me,' said Oxx after Johnny Murtagh had sent the daughter of Rainbow Quest clear from over a furlong out to beat Ice Dancer by three and a half lengths.

A Listed race confined to fillies in Cork is next on the agenda for Rayyana, who is entered in all the top races including the Vodafone Oaks at Epsom.

The only serious market opposition to the well-touted winner came just before the off for Aidan O`Brian`s Ice Dancer. She made significant late headway to finish runner-up without ever threatening the impressive winner.