Red Riding Hood and Seamus Heffernan (left) beat American Sonja (2nd left) Mashia (2nd right) and Snowcapped (right)© Photo Healy Racing
Red Riding Hood showed a tenacious attitude when battling back to land the spoils in the Group 3 Snow Fairy Stakes at the Curragh, giving Aidan O'Brien and Seamie Heffernan a double on the card.
The 14/1 shot made the running in the nine-furlong contest but was headed by American Sonja a furlong-and-a-half from home.
She knuckled down gamely though to lead again inside the final furlong and record a hard fought neck success over that rival.
Red Riding Hood had been well held in recent stakes outings but had been third in Group 3 company in the Blue Wind Stakes at Naas back in early May
Stable representative Chris Armstrong said:- “In fairness to Seamus he gave her a powerful ride, she's not a straightforward filly.
“She has stacks of ability but through probably weakness and immaturity it's only starting to come to the fore now.
“She's not an easy ride and Seamie gave her an absolute peach.
“She obviously has an unbelievable pedigree and it's great to get the black-type. She's a typical Justify, she just keeps finding for pressure.
“She'll probably come back here on Champions Weekend for the Blandford Stakes and see how we go. Hopefully that will be a good confidence booster for her and it's onwards and upwards.”
