Back To Brussels moves clear© Photo Healy Racing
Fozzy Stack’s Back To Brussels breezed to victory in Cork to justify 4/9 favouritism in the median auction race.
It looked a straightforward task for the 102-rated filly with the nearest to her being Independent Missy on a mark of 82. In addition, the latter had to give her 3lbs under weight for age conditions.
It was the four-year-old Independent Missy who set the pace in this six-furlong race with the favourite tracking her.
The leader was hard ridden over a furlong out and appeared to be a sitting duck as Chris Hayes was motionless on three-year-old Back To Brussels.
The latter was given the office inside the final furlong and readily swept past the leader.
She went on by a comfortable three lengths at the line. The runner-up was returned at 9/4 for Tracey Collins and Ronan Whelan.
Chris Hayes said: “I thought she was very well placed by Fozzy with that kind of rating to be getting weight off lesser rivals.
“It was a good confidence boost for her, she never had a moments worry. She settled well, got through the ground fine and hit the line good.
“Hopefully we can step her back up to black-type company. She deserves to win one — she was second here earlier on in the year. She is just unfortunate that she has bumped into a few.
“That will do her confidence the world of good. She was always a filly we held in high regard. It just took an age to get her spot on — she is a big filly and she was growing.”
"It took Fozzy all winter to get her right, but thankfully she’s right now. The key is just to get her settled. She could drop back to five furlongs in that sort of ground, so we’ll see what’s there for her.
"Hopefully we can get her to win a Listed race before the end of the year."
Back To Brussels won a maiden over five furlongs at Navan on debut in April last year.
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
