Kastasa (noseband) beats Buildmeupbuttercup by a neck© Photo Healy Racing
Andrew Slattery continued his fine season, and his very successful link-up with Dermot Weld, when winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF ‘Petingo’ Handicap on the the Curragh trainer’s progressive filly Kastasa (6/1).
The Aga Khan-bred and owned daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar scored by a neck from Buildmeupbuttercup (7/2 fav) and survived a Stewards’ Enquiry after just edging right and brushing against the runner-up close home. Trossachs (9/1) finished three quarters of a length back in third having gone for his race early in the straight, while Edification (33/1) rattled home into fourth having been had only one behind him turning in.
The winner has won four of her six starts, all by less than a length, and Slattery has been on board for her hat-trick of handicap victories, after his cousin Ben Coen rode her to a maiden win at Clonmel in the spring.
“We were very hopeful in a very competitive handicap,” said the winning trainer Dermot Weld.
“He rode her exactly as I thought he would. He got her into a lovely rhythm, Leopardstown takes a bit of getting, and he took his time, steady progress, came with a lovely run and gave her a lovely ride.
“She's a big filly and she's progressed all the time. This is her fourth win from five runs this year and she's getting better all the time.
“I've actually made an entry for her at Group 3 level so it's in my mind that this filly has the potential to go on now and campaign at stakes level from now on.
“I have her in the two-mile Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh in about three weeks time.
“Her class is just winning for her over shorter distances but I believe when she goes a mile-and-six or two miles that she'll be very comfortable at that as well.
“Her real potential is next year, and maybe the year after, but certainly next year is when she is going to develop into that big frame of hers.
“She's a lovely consistent filly. She's a very straight-forward filly, she doesn't take a lot of work, she likes to be fresh and she's just an improving filly.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
