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Another big-priced Group winner for Chris Hayes

Aloha Star and Chris Hayes (right) beat Frenetic in the Airlie Stud Stakes Aloha Star and Chris Hayes (right) beat Frenetic in the Airlie Stud Stakes
© Photo Healy Racing

If you’re a Chris Hayes follower this weekend, the socially distanced drinks are on you after the jockey rode 33/1 chance Aloha Star to victory in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes.

This was on the back of Hayes’ 66/1 winner Laws Of Indices, also at Group 2 level, at the same track on Saturday.

With two absentees, just four lined up for this juvenile fillies event with basically match betting involving Frenetic (10/11 fav) and Mother Earth (Evens).

The latter tried to keep tabs on the speedy market leader, with Aloha Star taking a lead from the two market principals.

Mother Earth was the first to give best, and although Frenetic kept going well to the line, she couldn’t fend off Fozzy Stack’s filly who won by a head, having come here on the back of a maiden win at Bellewstown.

The winning rider Hayes said: “We were disappointed when she got beaten first time out at Naas but she’s too generous sometimes and ran very free.

“The lad who rides her out at home, Eddie Cronin, has done a great job and has kept her nice and settled. She probably needed the run at Tipperary as we backed right off her.

“The race went to plan today. She was a filly always crying out for that trip and hopefully she will improve.

“They went quick but it felt like a piece of work to me because I was able to tow in off them and let the two boys go at it. I had one crack at them.

“I thought I was probably there 50 yards too soon but she’s tough.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.