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Punchestown 2024
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- Divinely breaks her maiden in Curragh Group 3
Mark Nunan
Divinely breaks her maiden in Curragh Group 3
Divinely and Wayne Lordan (near side) win from Ahandfulofsummers
© Photo Healy Racing
Divinely (5/1) got off the mark on her fourth start in the Kilcarn Stud Flame Of Tara Irish EBF Stakes (Group 3).
Beaten in three maidens prior to this first run in Stakes company, the full-sister to Arc winner Found had finished behind a couple of these rivals when fourth at Cork earlier this month.
Having made the running that day, she was much more patiently handled on this occasion and came through from the rear of the field to hit the front in the final furlong.
The Galileo filly kept on well to beat Ahandfulofsummers (7/1) and Ubuntu (15/2) by half a length and a short head, with the 9/4 favourite Nicest back in fifth.
Last to finish was Emaniya who had won the maiden at Cork in which Divinely was fourth, but she can be readily forgiven as she stumbled very badly indeed on leaving the starting stalls.
It was a quick double for Aidan O’Brien and Wayne Lordan (with Seamie Heffernan serving a three-day careless riding suspension incurred at Gowran Park) after Brazil in the opener, and the winning rider commented: “That’s a nice way for her to break her maiden.
"She had a good run in very deep ground in Roscommon.
“I thought making the running in Cork wasn’t the ideal thing but getting a lead today she travelled well and toughed it out well.
“You would imagine the way she went to the line that she is a filly that is going to stay really well.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee