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Friendless Zalfana takes the Curragh opener

Zalfana leads them home in the opener at the CurraghZalfana leads them home in the opener at the Curragh
© Photo Healy Racing

Newcomer Zalfana sprang a bit of a surprise in the opener at the Curragh, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, as the odds-on favourite Coolmore could only manage third.

The Dermot Weld trained victor was 5/1 last night with Paddy Power but prove friendless with punters, opening on-course at 8/1 before going off at 9's.

All the money was for the Aidan O'Brien trained Coolmore, who is a full-sister to Gleneagles. She opened on-course at 8/11 before going off the clear 8/15 favourite.

Settled in mid-division the winning daughter of Dutch Art was pushed along from three furlongs out.

She was ridden under two furlongs from home and looked to be struggling in third with a furlong left to race.

However she found another gear in the closing stages, getting up in the final 50 yards before going on to score by three parts of a length under Pat Smullen in the colours of the Aga Khan.

Ceol Na Ghra finished second under Kevin Manning for Jim Bolger at 9/1 while Coolmore, who was slowly into stride, kept on well to take third a further neck back under Joseph O'Brien.

Dermot Weld said afterwards: "I thought she did it nicely and I expected her to run very well. She's a lovely staying filly in the making.

"She'll probably have one more run in the Staffordstown Stud Stakes in mid-October here.

"I think she'll be a very progressive filly. The one thing that would stop her running would be soft ground as she has a good action.

"She loved the ground today and I think she'll progress along the right lines."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

1st
9/1
Tote €8.20 €2.40
2nd
0.75L
9/1
€1.80
3rd
nk
8/15Fav
€1.02
4th
nk
10/3
About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.