Date posted September 20, 2009 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Fastnet Rock,
Premium Updates,
Racing and BreedingLess than an hour after Stryker took the Listed STC Heritage Stakes at Rosehill it was the turn of Fastnet Rock filly Irish Lights to taste stakes success, saluting in the Group 3 MRC Guineas Prelude at Caulfield.
Irish Lights had looked ultra impressive when resuming from a spell at Flemington on September 5 and was well fancied to repeat that performance in this tougher assignment by her trainer David Hayes.
Irish Lights
Turned out in magnificent order by Hayes, Irish Lights was given a ‘peach’ of a ride by Glen Boss and despite an awkward barrier draw, she began well. Boss took up a nice position on her and she let down impressively in the straight to score a dominant win in the 1400 metre event .
Hayes was delighted with the win and he told TVN’s Bruce Clark that he has expectations of Group One success for the daughter of Fastnet Rock this spring.
“We’ll look at the (Group Two) Edward Manifold Stakes in two weeks time, or we might just go straight into the Group I Thousand Guineas,” Hayes said.
“Looking past that, the Group One mile event for mares at Flemington might be another nice conservative Group One for her.”
Boss was also glowing in his praise of her, labelling the robust bay ‘my next good horse’.
“I really think she could be my next good horse,” Boss told Clark.
“She jumped so well, then dropped the bit and relaxed… it was ridiculous how easily she picked them when I asked her to go.
“She runs very fast sectionals and has that ability to pick up quickly and be just where you want in a race.”
A $230,000 purchase for Demi O’Byrne from the draft of Lustre Lodge at the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Irish Lights is the second foal of Aspen Falls, whose dam is a half-sister to super producer Fall Aspen, dam of Group One winners Northern Aspen, Timber Country, Hamas and Fort Wood.
Irish Lights has a two year-old full sister that was bought by NSW based trainer Chris Waller at the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $180,000.
Racing for a large syndicate including Coolmore, in whose navy blue colours she runs, Irish Lights has now won two of four starts earning some $140,000 in prizemoney.
She is the fourth stakes-winner for Fastnet Rock - his third in a week!
Just last Wednesday, his daughter, Lovemelikearock beat the colts in the Group 3 Spring Stakes at Newcastle.
Trained by Anthony Cummings, Lovemelikearock had been third at her previous start in the Group Two AJC Furious Stakes behind Melito. Relishing the step up to 1600 metres she settled perfectly for jockey Glyn Schofield back in the field before unleashing a powerful finishing burst.
She took the event by a neck and now has an overall record of two wins and two placings from seven starts with prizemoney of $187,740.
A $110,000 purchase for her trainer from the Coolmore draft during the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale Easter Part Two, Lovemelikearock is the fourth foal of the Mt Livermore mare Love All, a half-sister to the dam of US stakes-winner Outta Here (Dehere) and from the family of Group One winners Joyeux Danseur (by Nureyev), Arazi (by Blushing Groom) and Noverre (by Rahy).
