O'Brien doubles up in Gowran feature with Night Of Romance

Night Of Romance appreciated the step up to seven furlongs to take the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap and complete a double on the Gowran Park card for trainer Joseph O’Brien.

The daughter of Night Of Thunder was bought out of Karl Burke’s yard for 50,000 guineas at the Tattersalls July Sale last year having won twice and completed her hat-trick the following month for current connections when taking a leg of the Racing League series at Doncaster.

The 6/1 chance showed good progress from her seasonal debut at the Curragh, switching left to challenge two furlongs out and staying on strongly inside the final furlong to score by two lengths. Pretty Rebel took the runner-up spot, with New York Angel a further length-and-a-half back in third.

O’Brien’s assistant Brendan Powell said, “I’d say she just needed the Curragh run and she won off the same mark today as she won the Racing League race in Doncaster last year.

“Dylan (Browne McMonagle) said the step up to seven really suited her today rather than being on her head she’s relaxed and he knew all the way up the straight that she was going to win.

“She hit the line strong and he said she probably will stay a mile but there is no reason to go there yet.

“It’s great for Johne (Murphy, the former professional rugby player) as he has invested in the yard for the last six years.”

O'Brien was doubling up having also landed the opening juvenile maiden with Zoinnocent