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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Circle sheds her maiden tag

Thu 16th Aug 2012, 18:22

Circle approaches the winning <br> post at Leopardstown Circle approaches the winning
post at Leopardstown
© Photo Healy Racing

Circle scored an all-the-way success in the seven furlong maiden at Leopardstown as Mona Brown and Angel Way failed to hunt him down in the final furlong.

The three-year-old, who was the only horse in the field holding a Group race entry in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes, had started to look exposed as her form regressed from a second place on debut here to trailing in sixth at Galway over a mile and a half last time.

Coming back to seven furlongs helped though as trainer Aidan O’Brien confirmed. He said: “The drop back in trip suited her. She didn’t get a mile and a half in Galway and she’s out of a Bluebird mare [sprinter].”

Joseph O’Brien rode the 5/1 winner who won snugly as the jockey eased up on her near the finish when in no danger of being caught. This allowed 5/2 favourite Mona Brown to close within three parts of a length at the line. The runner-up was backed in from 7/2 while the winner was easy to back from 4/1.

O’Brien put up two pounds overweight on Circle at 9 stone 2.

Angel Way, who was backed from 16/1 to 8/1 this morning, came in third at 10/1 for Denis Cullen and Billy Lee.

(on course reporting by Alan Magee)

1st
5/1
Tote €5.80 €1.70
2nd
0.75L
5/2Fav
€1.60
3rd
1.5L
10/1
€2.80
4th
0.5L
8/1
About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.