Westpieser justifies favouritism under Foley

Westpieser got off the mark on the seventh time of asking as she took the Crowe Plaza Race & Stay Median Auction (Fillies) Maiden, scoring under Shane Foley for Mick Halford.

The daughter of Azamour was placed on her last three starts, and she was just two lengths behind Lahinich Classics, who finished second in a Listed race at Newbury today, over the course and distance last month.

An 11/8 chance this morning, she opened at evens on-course, touching 11/10 before going off at her starting price.

Running in the Russian Soul silks of Antoinette Kavanagh, the bay victor made all, and she was pushed along as they entered the straight.

She got a few cracks of the whip a furlong and a half from home, and despite swishing her tail, she kept on well in the final furlong to score by three parts of a length. Mozetta who was backed from 10/1 to 6/1 on-course, ran a fine race on her debut, finishing second under Niall McCullagh for Shay Barry, with the front two stretching six lengths clear of Rayna in third..

Mick Halford said afterwards: "Her form probably entitled her to win it. It wasn’t ideal to make the running but we felt she had a good draw and there mightn’t be any pace.

"Shane said she was always doing enough to hold the second. She could step up in trip and we’ll see where we’ll go now."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson