Search
Cheltenham 2024
- Main Site
- Cheltenham Home
- Cheltenham Cards
- Cheltenham Results
- Cheltenham Offers
- Cheltenham Odds
- Cheltenham Tips
- Cheltenham News
- Prestbury Cup
- Cheltenham Videos
-
Cheltenham Statistics
- Leading Trainer
- Leading Jockeys
- Leading Owners
- Previous Years
- Previous Appearances
- Breeding Profile of Winners
- Lady Jockeys at The Festival
- Leading Jockey Award Winners
- Most Successful Jockeys of All Time
- Current Jockeys Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Jockey In..
- Leading Trainer Award Winners
- Most Successfull Trainer All Time
- Current Trainers Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Trainer In..
- Cheltenham Trainer/Runner Index
- Desktop Site
Cheltenham 2024
- irishracing.com
- Cheltenham
- News
- Scintillula proves too good for Mars
Donal Murphy
Scintillula proves too good for Mars
Scintillula goes clear of Mars in the closing stages
© Photo Healy Racing
Scintillula over-turned the odds on favourite Mars (8/11), as she took the Group 3 Meld Stakes for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning.
The daughter of Galileo won her maiden over course in June before finishing a good second in the Listed Celebration Stakes at the Curragh.
She put in a great effort to finish fourth to Chicquinta in the Oaks on Saturday last, and turned out again quickly she was sent off a 6/1 chance.
The bay three-year-old made all the running this evening and when joined by Mars over a furlong from home she dug deep and stayed on well, going on to score by two and three parts of a length.
Mars had to settle for second for Aidan & Joseph O’Brien, while Along Came Casey was three and a quarter lengths back in third under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld at 7/2 (13/2 this morning and from 5/1 on-course).
Jim Bolger said afterwards: "She has come right now and she is hardy. In the spring time she wasn’t right but we got a foundation into her and it stood to her.
"I felt had we made the running on Saturday we might have got a different result.
"The ground was a concern beforehand but I was happy with the way she picked up on it.
"We will look at the Give Thanks Stakes for her now in Cork."
Joseph O'Brien commented on the run of Mars saying: "He hated the ground.
"He quickened up to go upsides the winner but the ground in the straight is soft and he was all over the place on it and he couldn’t get a hold of it."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson