Happen swoops late in a dramatic Athasi Happen booked her place in the line-up for the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh later this month when putting up a remarkable performance to land the Coolmore Gleneagles Irish EBF Athasi Stakes. The War Front filly out of the 2006 dual Oaks winner Alexandrova was sent off an uneasy 11/4 chance but reached an in-running high of over 200/1 when in rear a furlong and a half out. However she really flew home under Ryan Moore on the outer inside the final furlong and just got up on the line. The Mick Channon-trained raider Dan’s Dream also came home strongly to be denied by just a short-head, while the always prominent Rionach was pegged back in the final strides to finish just a neck further back in third. Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien said, “Her dam was always best doing that and she couldn’t come from far enough back. Ryan said she won’t mind stepping up to a mile so that’s where we will go next (Irish 1,000 Guineas).”
