Marakesh scores on debut for Ebor winners

August's Ebor Handicap winners trainer Henry De Bromhead and jockey Bill Lee combined to land Gowran's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden today with Marakesh (9/2), which scored on her belated career debut.

Four-year-old filly Marakesh was withdrawn from both her intended debut runs, initially at Cork on August 16 - due to unsuitable going, and subsequently at the Curragh eight days later, where she refused to load.

Today the Peter Fitzgerald-owned Decorated Knight-sired filly behaved well, was first to load and, in the race, quickened well to beat Supreme Success by 2.5 lengths.

Magical Zoe credited De Bromhead and Lee with big-race York success on August 24, while

the trainer himself followed-up with Higher Leaves' Sunday success in a Listed race at Longchamp.

Today Lee reported “Marakesh was very straightforward and the last day was just a bit of blip not going in to the stalls. She was good today, travelled well and got me into a lovely position.

“I was just waiting for a gap to open in the straight and when it did she picked up well and galloped out to the line. I thought she won within herself and there is hopefully more to come. She put it to bed easy and was green having a look so you would like to think stepping up to a mile would bring more improvement.”

Quotes from Alan Magee