Handassa on top in Naas

Racing : Handassa finished best of all to reward strong market support in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Garnet Stakes …

Racing: Handassa finished best of all to reward strong market support in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Garnet Stakes at Naas. Empowering made a brave bid to make most under Joseph O'Brien and still led the field deep into the straight as the runners came over to the middle of the track.

The leader was strongly challenged by Hurricane Havoc, but as that battle was going on the Kevin Prendergast-trained Handassa hit top gear nearest the stands rail.

The Dubawi filly (7-2 favourite) won going away in the end by two lengths from Hurricane Havoc with Empowering third.

Prendergast said: "She loves easy ground. She ran well at Gowran last time out when the ground was like the road, although the official description was good to yielding.

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"She flew up the hill today. She was only beaten five lengths in the 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh on fast ground which she doesn't like.

"I don't know whether she will stay in training now, it's up to the boss (owner Sheikh Hamdan). He usually doesn't keep them on the go."