Brooch makes it two from two

Brooch made it two from two at Killarney this evening as she took the feature race, the Listed Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes, completing a double on the card for Pat Smullen, Dermot Weld and owner Prince Khalid Abdullah (won the first with Postulation .

The American bred daughter of Empire Maker impressed on her debut at Galway last month when winning easily by nine and a half lengths.

She was widely expected to follow-up this evening and having started at 13/8 last night she went odds-on this morning (when Flight Risk came out) before going off the clear 8/11 favourite.

Settled in mid-division she was ridden a furlong and a half from home and it wasn’t until inside the final furlong that she really got going, hitting the front inside the final 50 yards before going on to score by a length. Akira ran a cracker to finish second at 33/1 under Niall McCullagh for Shay Barry while Colour Blue who led from three furlongs out, finished a further half a length back in third under Gary Carroll for Willie McCreery at 10/1 (was 16/1 overnight).

Kris Weld said afterwards: "That was very pleasing. Despite the betting it was a bit step up from winning a pretty average maiden.

"Her sister (Caponata) also won her first two starts in maiden and Listed company. She is a fine big filly and she is only starting to fill out. She will make a nice 4yo.

"Dad will speak to Lord Grimthorpe and will see if she will run again this year but she will be a smart type for next year."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weeks