Dazzling leads them home in the first at the Curragh© Photo Healy Racing
Dazzling (Joseph O'Brien up), a newcomer by Galileo, lively in the market this morning before proving easy to back on track, landed the opening Sapphire European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden at the Curragh.
This May-foaled filly is a sister to Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Roderic O'Connor, who also finished second in the Dewhurst Stakes and won the Criterium International at two. On pedigree she (a 925,000 guineas yearling) is the type to progress well as the season unfolds; her dam (Secret Garden) was unraced as a two-year-old but she made up for lost time at three, winning twice including at Listed level.
Anyway, Dazzling made most in this mile contest and despite drifting away from the rail from over a furlong out, she was able to contain her Ballydoyle stable companion, Shell House (a huge eye-catcher under Ryan Moore) by two and three parts of a length.
Strong favourite Sparkle Factor challenged down the centre of the track but she had every chance and ended up three parts of a length adrift in third.
Aidan O'Brien said: "She's still very green but you'd have to be delighted the way she did it.
"We thought she'd be very green and we weren't sure if she'd know enough to win first time but she was well on top at the line.
"We could step up anywhere now with her.
"I knew he (Joseph) wanted to get a lead but he was maybe just left in front.
"She's a big strong powerful filly – a big mile and a half type."
Boylesports go 20/1 Dazzling for the Oaks next year. (GC & EM)
