Duse holds on for Curragh win

Racing: Eleanora Duse just held the flying finish of She's Our Mark to lift the feature Group Two www.thetote

Racing:Eleanora Duse just held the flying finish of She's Our Mark to lift the feature Group Two www.thetote.com Blandford Stakes at the Curragh.

Third behind Midday in the Yorkshire Oaks, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly got first run on her rival and made it count by a short head.

Ryan Moore caught Long Lashes over a furlong out on the 3-1 favourite and looked to have the race in the bag, but she was all out in the end to keep She's Our Mark at bay by a short head, with Choose Me a further head back in third.

Peter Reynolds, for owners Ballymacoll Stud, said: "Ryan said it was a messy race as the pace was very slow. They dawdled and he always had to be where he was. The ground was a bit sticky and she is more of a mile-and-a-half filly.

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"That's our best win of the year. We have no Conduit this year. Eleanora Duse is a good, tough mare and she is improving. Hopefully she'll race for us next year, too.

"She is in a Group Two on the Saturday of the Arc weekend, but she might have enough done now. We'll leave it up to Sir Michael."