Kitty Rose asserts in Naas© Photo Healy Racing
The morning money for Kitty Rose in the seven furlong juvenile fillies' maiden at Naas proved inspired as she readily made a winning debut.
She halved in price from 40/1 to 20/1 this morning, but was easier to back at the track as she drifted out to 25/1 from 16s.
She broke well from a tough draw in 16 to race prominently for Seamie Heffernan and tracked Foxtrot J
This powerful-looking daughter of Invincible Army straightened for home in third and was pushed along to lead narrowly a furlong and a-half down.
Heffernan rode her to assert in the final furlong and she galloped on strongly to beat 11/10 favourite Tannola a length and three-quarters into second. There was a yawning gap of almost five lengths back to third-placed National Lady (9/4).
This continued Natalia Lupini's excellent season and her partner Craig Bryson said: “We were hoping for a nice run, but you never know first time out.
“She's a filly that we've liked a lot at home, she did it well and she'll progress plenty. She's big and she's a nice filly.
“She likes to go forward, she likes to gallop and I'd imagine as you step her up in trip she'll be better. She's one to look forward to.
“I'll talk to the lads, but we might look at the Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown (on Irish Champions Festival in September), that might suit her. If she comes out of it well that's probably the race to go for.
“We had a filly (Highly Desirable) that was third in this race last year and went on to finish third in the Ingabelle. You'd be happy to go and take your chance in it and hopefully get black-type.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
