In many ways, Saturday's £150,000 Tattersalls Breeders Stakes went according to pattern. Richard Hannon saddled the first and third in the valuable pot last year and promptly did the same again with Another Fantasy and Daunting Lady. However, many were left rubbing their eyes at how the six furlong dash unfolded.
The perceived logic had been that those drawn high would be at a big disadvantage but nobody informed Another Fantasy, boxed in 27, who cruised through at the distance to put two and a half lengths between herself and Law Library, who easily won the battle on the stand's side. Daunting Lady, who sweated up beforehand, just edged Jacmar out of third and the favourite, Balla Sola, picked up the fifth money.
The 16 to 1 surprise winner was a memorable first success from three attempts in Ireland for the former top apprentice Dane O'Neill. The 22-year-old from Monkstown, outside Cork City, was riding his 49th winner this year, bringing his career total to 160. Since riding a Dingle Derby winner as a youngster, O'Neill has been attached to the Hannon yard, and although Michael Kinane got the ride on the supposed first choice, Daunting Lady, O'Neill got a dream run.
"Her draw seemed bad but there were a lot of good horses around me which was encouraging. I dropped her out to give her a chance and although I could have taken it up at any time, I held on until the two mark. I was constantly looking across to see what the situation was but mine really quickened," O'Neill said of the 23,000 guineas purchase.
Hannon was not present to greet his two horses but he is becoming the king of these confined races, having also won the Goffs £100,000 Challenge with Tadwiga at the Curragh in June. Hannon's Irish born assistant Sylvester Kirk commented: "The owners (Mr and Mrs Peter Jupert from London) turned down a good offer earlier this year and it's nice to see it pay off for them."
The Group Three Futurity for juveniles followed the Aidan O'Brien pattern, with Impressionist making most of the running and beating Mark Johnston's favourite, Fruits Of Love, by a comfortable length.
"Christy (Roche) has always thought this one is really good and he'll be a lovely horse next year. He has loads of speed. When Christy said go the race was all over, but he's still very green and will be better when held up," O'Brien said.
The Beresford Stakes may be next for the Royal Academy colt and O'Brien also reported that Saratoga Springs will the representative from his powerful string in Doncaster's Champagne Stakes. Longchamp's Grand Criterium, France's top two year old race, is being considered for Second Empire.
A drop in distance brought Pelmeny's scorching early pace into full show when John Oxx's filly made virtually all for an easy win in the Turf Club Handicap.
"We've found her trip," declared Oxx. "We brought her down from a mile to seven furlongs at Tralee where she would have won at the six mark, so bringing her down to five furlongs was the right decision."
Oxx and John Murtagh completed a double when King Of Persia just edged out the eternally luckless Moving On Up in the Maddenstown Maiden, but Micheal Kinane did get on the scoresheet for winner number 40 of his Irish season when Yudrik battled gamely to beat Cutting Ground in the August Handicap.
