251/1 Naas double for Joseph O'Brien On the mark earlier on the card with 20/1 shot Capel At Dawn, the Joseph O’Brien yard doubled up at Naas courtesy of Lady Penelope’s success in the Listed Plusvital Irish EBF Fillies’ Polonia Stakes. The brace came in at odds of 251/1 and after finishing second on the stable’s Gee Rex in the previous race Declan McDonogh bagged the big prize of the day on the Night Of Thunder filly. Off a 221 day break Lady Penelope raced prominently and disputed, and she held a narrow lead under two furlongs out. Ridden to assert over a furlong out she kept on well under pressure in the final furlong to beat You’resobeautiful and her stable companion Unforgetable by a length and a quarter and the same. “My horses in general have just needed their first run of the year over the last week or ten days,” said O’Brien. “It was her first run back so we were a little bit worried fitness wise. I thought when she was in the lead going past the furlong marker, and I saw a couple of them coming that maybe she might run out of steam. “She was very tough. She loved the ground. The drop of rain during the week was a huge help to her, she loves a little bit of juice in the ground.” Stable representative at the track, Brendan Powell added: “She had a bit of an issue at the stalls but was good today and went in last with a blind on. “Declan said every time they came to her she’d pull out a bit more. She’d her head down and is one hundred per cent genuine. “I’m sure she will stay further and hopefully she will come on from the run as well. She’s tough and wouldn’t mind any ground. She should have a good future.” The Stewards enquired into an incident about one and a half furlongs from the finish involving Between Hills, ridden by T.P. Madden, unplaced, Celtic Beauty, ridden by W.J. Lee, unplaced, Flaming Princess, ridden by L.F. Roche, unplaced and Punita Arora, ridden by S. Foley, unplaced, where it appeared that Punita Arora checked and got stopped in her run. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards were of the opinion that any interference caused was accidental in nature and took no further action. W.J. Lee, rider of Celtic Beauty trained by K.J. Condon, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount jammed on when racing over ridges about one and a half furlongs from the finish. S. Foley, rider of Punita Arora trained by Mrs John Harrington, reported to the Clerk of Scales that he had to check his mount about one and a half furlongs from the finish. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer examined Nurse Barbara, trained by G.M.Lyons, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal. (AM & EM)
