Euphrasia is driven out by Gary Carroll to beat Princess Highway and La Collina© Photo Healy Racing
The feature race at Naas this evening, the Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes, went the way of 33/1 outsider Euphrasia for Joe Murphy and Gary Carroll.
The four-year-old daughter of Windsor Knot won her maiden at the Curragh on the fourth time of asking last October and she failed to score on her first three efforts of 2013.
She made all this evening and had her rivals on the stretch from two furlongs out, staying on well inside the final furlong to win by a comfortable two lengths from La Collina (5/2) in second under Chris Hayes for Kevin Prendergast.
Group 2 winner Princess Highway who won this race last year, was sent off the 8/13 favourite under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld but she couldn't get to the winner in the home straight and she faded back to finish third.
Joe Murphy said afterwards: "We've always loved the filly. There was only three declared and we were hoping for rain. She is very genuine so we said we’d take our chance.
"We’ve had a bit of bad luck but now we’ve had good luck. I’ve loved her since she was a two-year-old. She has always worked well at home and she is a good filly.
"It is amazing but would you believe she is still learning. She’ll go on good ground too. She has good action and she is just better in a better race.
"We had planned a couple of Listed races for her. The job is done now as far as a broodmare is concerned. We will play it by ear with her."
Dermot Weld said of Princess Highway; "She was a bit quiet in herself so we will get her checked out to see if she is in season and we will let everyone know tomorrow.
"She is basically a top of the ground filly but I’m not using that as an excuse as I was disappointed".
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
