By Tom Frary
Fairyland made the Coolmore consortium step outside their normal realm when paying 925,000gns at Tattersalls October for a daughter of the upwardly mobile Kodiac and now they have racecourse evidence if it was needed that they have acquired something special. On a day when the stable introduced a genuine 2019 Classic hopeful in Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}), this much more speedily-bred half-sister to the MGSW and 2016 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas third Now Or Never made her own mark in a race that always has significance for the future.
Having already earned TDN Rising Star status over six furlongs on debut at Naas May 7, but jockey bookings and the market was speaking loudly for the stable's well-regarded colt Van Beethoven here. Breaking smartly for Seamie Heffernan to raced just behind fellow Ballydoyle trainee Land Force, she was travelling much the best passing two out and took control there before striding clear as Van Beethoven struggled to match her pace. “We've not had many Kodiacs, but the boys loved her at the sales,” her rider said. “We were always aware that the Kodiacs were all speed and might not stay, but the lads have done a great job relaxing her at home and she got has got very relaxed. She has class and is so straightforward, so she could be nice.”
Aidan O'Brien had already won this 10 times and this one-two-three can only bode well for his current juvenile crop and prospects of a strong Royal Ascot showing. “She looks very nice,” her trainer said. “She won very nicely in Naas and Ryan loved her when he rode her. Wayne [Lordan] rides her at home all the time and he's always loved her. She travelled well and Seamus said she's a very kind, very unassuming type of filly and she cruised the whole way. He felt she would even stay further. She has a great pedigree and Mrs Stockwell always loved her, she loved her at the sales. She's an exciting filly. She's a filly for either the [June 20 G2] Queen Mary or the [June 22 G3] Albany, we have a choice now.”
Fairyland was yet another high-profile winner in the Evie Stockwell silks for Heffernan, who had most notably plundered the G1 Cheveley Park S. with Brave Anna (War Front). She becomes the third winner from as many runners produced by Queenofthefairies, an unraced daughter of the G2 Flying Childers S. and G3 King George S. winner Land of Dreams (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). Her son is the dual European champion and MG1SW sire Dream Ahead (Diktat {GB}), a half-brother to the GSW middle-distance performer Into the Dark (GB) (Rainbow Quest). The third dam is the G3 Molecomb S. winner Sahara Star, whose descendants include the G3 Princess Margaret S. winner and G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Princess Noor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and this year's G3 Amethyst S. scorer Zihba (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}). Queenofthefairies also has an as-yet unnamed yearling filly by Muhaarar (GB).
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
COLD MOVE IRISH EBF MARBLE HILL S.-Listed, €60,000, Curragh, 5-26, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.20, g/f.
1–FAIRYLAND (IRE), 124, f, 2, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Queenofthefairies (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Land of Dreams (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
3rd Dam: Sahara Star (GB), by Green Desert
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (925,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Evie Stockwell, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €35,400. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $55,224. *1/2 to Now Or Never (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}), GSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Aus, $283,187.
2–Van Beethoven, 129, c, 2, Scat Daddy–My Sister Sandy, by Montbrook. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor. €12,000.[bullet ad=”saratoga-select-1-2-sis-van-beethoven”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]
3–Land Force (Ire), 129, c, 2, No Nay Never">No Nay Never–Theann (GB), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). (€350,000 Ylg '17 GOFOR). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith. €6,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 4.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Gee Rex (Ire), Recon Mission (Ire), Evasive Power, Wartime Hero (GB), Chestnut Express (Ire), Scotts Honor (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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