Alpheratz, number one, sees off Uluru© Photo Healy Racing
Alpheratz the 10/11 favourite, gamely fended off Uluru at the end of an extended mile in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Race at Killarney.
Joe Murphy 's Alpheratz bounced away smartly for Gary Carroll in the feature on the card, but faced a very stern challenge from Uluru inside the final furlong.
The favourite showed her mettle along the far rail, though, as she saw it out best by a neck from the 3/1 runner-up.
The winner shed her maiden tag at Gowran Park in October and returned with a runner-up spot in a Group 3 at the Curragh in March. She was a beaten favourite in fifth in a Group 3 at Leopardstown last month.
Joe Muphy jnr said: "We’ve always felt she wanted to go up in trip and we ran her here to confirm that, and I think we did. She’s in the Guineas and maybe if it was a heavy-ground Guineas, she might run, but she’s in the Ribblesdale and the Irish Oaks and that’s probably the route she’ll go down.
“Her sire is by Lope De Vega and the dam is a sister to Arrest, and he seems to enjoy plenty of cut in the ground and gets a trip well, and our own horse, Immutable, enjoys plenty of cut in the ground, so I’d say it’s the way they are.
“Maybe she’s going to be better on good ground and we’ll try it in the Oaks or the Ribblesdale and we’ll see. If she’s flying it on Irish Oaks weekend, and it’s good-to-firm ground, she’ll probably take her chance.
“We came here on a fact-finding mission, and got our answer. We probably knew the answer, but got it confirmed. I’d be excited enough about her.”
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
