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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Newcomer Ylang Ylang seals quick-fire double for O'Brien and Moore

Fri 30th Jun 2023, 18:08

Ylang Ylang strides homeYlang Ylang strides home
© Photo Healy Racing

Frankel filly Ylang Ylang put in a lovely debut performance to land the juvenile fillies' maiden in the Curragh.

She cost a whopping 1.5 million guineas at Tattersalls UK October Yearling Sale Book 1 last October which saw her go off 8/13 favourite for this seven-furlong assignment.

Ryan Moore kept it simple on the daughter of Listed-placed mare Shambolic who bounced out into an early lead and the duo set the pace they wanted.

Moore started to nudge her along racing past the two pole and she kept finding along the rail from a persistent challenger in She's Quality

She was in charge in the final 150 yards and strode home by a growing two and three-quarter lengths from a staying-on Dollerina (9/1). The always-prominent She's Quality (40/1) gave best inside the final furlong and dropped to third, beaten four and a-half lengths by the winner.

This brought up a quick-fire double for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore who also won the opening juvenile maiden with Mountain Bear

The trainer said: "We're delighted with her. She was never away, so she was babyish. She was working very well at home.

“She's probably going to come on leaps and bounds. It was nice to see her doing that, Ryan said she was only playing in front. He just gave her a back-hander to get down and stretch.”

When asked if the Debutante could be next on the agenda he added: “That should be perfect.

“She's working with the good colts no problem, which is usually a very good sign.”

The Group 2 Debutante Stakes is at the Curragh on August 19th.

Paddy Power saw Ylang Ylang supported at 25/1 for the 1,000 Guineas this morning, and cut her from 14/1 to 10/1 for that Classic after this victory.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

1st
8/13Fav
Tote €1.62 €1.10
2nd
2.75L
9/1
€2.30
3rd
1.75L
40/1
€4.20
4th
0.5L
16/1
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.