Racing:Fictional Account earned the right to shoot for some big prizes after claiming the scalp of Fame And Glory in the Irish Field St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh.
Aidan O’Brien’s Fame And Glory was having his first start since claiming the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, and all seemed to be going well as he travelled smoothly enough to take closer order in the straight.
But as the six-year-old mare Fictional Account took over from long-time leader Saddler’s Rock, Fame And Glory, the 1-3 favourite, did not pick up as expected, and while he edged closer he never really looked likely to get there, going down by a neck.
Winning trainer Vincent Ward said of the Fran Berry-ridden winner, who was 12th in the Gold Cup: “With my licence you can only train four horses, and they have put me on the map as a small trainer.
“This mare has won for me at Ascot and has been fantastic. It was a good pot, and there is generally a small field for these kind of races, so we had a go. Fran is fantastic lad, all those top jockeys are a fantastic help to you.
“I was a bit apprehensive when she took it up so early with Fame And Glory on her outside, I’d have preferred it the other way round, but you couldn’t write the script the way it turned out.
“She only cost 11,500 at the sales in Goffs and we’ll celebrate down the local pub tonight.
“We could go to Doncaster (Doncaster Cup) for the Leger meeting, it depends on the ground. I don’t think the owners would send her to the sales just yet.
“The ground was against her in the Gold Cup. We might look at the (Irish) St Leger now as well, but everything is ground dependant and in fairness to the Curragh they have the ground perfect today.”
Berry enjoyed a red-letter day as Dragon Pulse (7-1) gave Jessica Harrington back-to-back wins in the Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes when coming from last to first to take the Group Two prize in impressive fashion.
Entered at a cost of €9,500 at the supplementary stage to follow in the hoofprints of Pathfork, the Kyllachy colt was given a patient ride. He picked up well when asked down the outside, and did not have to be hard-ridden to readily account for Parish Hall and Astrology.
Harrington said: “He probably was working as well as Pathfork had been (prior to his run in the race last year), and I’d have been very disappointed if he had not been placed.
“I think he is pretty smart, especially with some cut in the ground, and he appreciated the step up to seven furlongs.
“He’s not in the National Stakes, so we’ll have to talk about that. He’s also in the Beresford Stakes.”
An Ghalanta continued in a rich vein of form to land Listed honours in the www.thetote.com Curragh Stakes.
Kevin Manning’s mount was soon to the head of affairs against the near rail and dug deep as Boris Grigoriev lunged in the shadow of the post, holding for a head success.
Bible Black, the 3-1 joint-favourite, had traded blows up front with the 9-2 winner for a long way, but had to settle for third.
A recent winner at Tipperary, Jim Bolger’s filly has now finished outside of the first two just once in seven starts.
Bolger said: “She hasn’t run too many bad races and she is improving. Sprinting is her game. She might not run again this season as there isn’t too many five-furlong races for her.”