Aga newcomer wins opener for Weld & Keane

Alazenya (100/30) won on debut in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Fillies) Maiden at Leopardstown today, scoring for Breeders Cup winning team of Champion Jockey Colin Keane, owner the Aga Khan and trainer Dermot Weld.

The daughter of Siyouni soon chased the leaders, moved to lead with a furlong to race and eventually held on for a half-length win over runner-up La Joconde

Weld, whose Keane-partnered, Aga Khan-owned Tarnawa won the Breeders Cup Turf in November, later commented “she’s a nice filly and has been working nicely at home. Colin liked her the other morning when she worked. Obviously first time out there is a little bit of inexperience and greenness but she’s a very nice filly.

“We’ll see how she progresses before we decide where to go but obviously we will be looking for a bit of black type with her.

“That trip (1m2f) is good for the moment. She has plenty of pace and the dam stayed well. Later in the year this filly might go a mile and a half.

“I trained the dam (Almela) - she was good and was never worse than first or second for me.”

Quotes from Alan Magee