Caught U Looking (nearest) stays on best to beat Sakti (centre) and Brilliant © Photo Healy Racing
An impressive winner on her second start at Leopardstown in July, Caught U Looking followed-up in the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes.
While Colin Keane was aboard the Noel Meade-trained bay at Leopardstown, the champion jockey teamed-up with Sakti (9/4f) for his boss Ger Lyons this afternoon.
Ben Coen took over in the saddle from Keane and he soon positioned his mount behind the leaders on the outer.
Ridden to challenge in third over a furlong from home, the Anthony O'Callaghan and Sabina Kelly-owned victor edged to the front inside the final 100 yards and ultimately stayed on best to prevail by half-a-length.
The aforementioned market leader had to settle for second, while the front-running Brilliant was just a neck away in third.
"That's super. Obviously after she won so easy in Leopardstown there was plenty of interest in her," said Meade.
"Tony O'Callaghan and Peter (Kelly), who bred her, own her and despite all the horses he has, Tony wasn't for selling. He just wanted to keep her and said to roll the dice and see how she goes.
"Obviously there is a little bit of pressure on when you do that. Peter was happy enough to do that as well.
"She's a good filly and she's a filly that will improve because she's a Harzand. She's going to be better next year, and probably a mile-and-a-half filly.
"I hope we can keep her. You keep hoping she can get up to the top, I know she only won but obviously Ger thinks quite a lot of his and you are always running against something decent from Ballydoyle. It's hard to win a stakes race in Ireland.
"Ben said she was a little green and she was leaning away from them in the last furlong-and-a-half. He said she'll come on a ton.
"With the ground the way it was it maybe suited her more than the others because of her stamina.
"Colin (Keane) rode all the work on her and rode her last week and thought she was in good shape. He didn't think Ger was going to run but he had to stick with him. I was happy to get Ben as he's a very good rider.
"Everything is open now and we can dream a bit now. I put her in the 1,000 Guineas the other day and we'll enter her in the Oaks as well.
"She's in the Fillies Mile but I wouldn't imagine that will happen now, we'll wait and let her mature."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
