Sandiva impresses at Naas

Sandiva (7/4f) put herself firmly in the frame for Royal Ascot when decisively winning the Listed fillies’ sprint over six furlongs at Naas.

The English raider, sent over from Richard Fahey’s yard, pulled clear with Heart Focus (8/1) with a furlong to race, before putting two lengths on the runner-up at the finish.

Richard Hannon’s Fig Roll was four and a half lengths further back in the race for third, a head in front of Glassatura

Pat Smullen was the successful jockey and he said: “She’s very smart. She’s learning all the time. In the last furlong she changed her legs on the faster ground.”

Nick Bradley from Middleham Park Racing, who own the daughter of Footstepsinthesand, added: “She was very impressive at Nottingham and she did that easily. I don’t think she had a race.

“She has a good pedigree and we turned down big offers for her. We’ve been vindicated.

“The plan is to go to Royal Ascot, maybe the Albany on Friday, but we’ll talk to Richard (Fahey).

“She wanted six furlongs and it looks like she wants fast ground.”

Sandiva is now two from two having won by six lengths in a Nottingham maiden last month.