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Donal Murphy
Fiesolana bags another Group 3
Fiesolana is driven out by Billy Lee to beat Sea Siren (blinkers)
© Photo Healy Racing
Fiesolana recorded her third Group 3 success of the season as she took the Coolmore Stud Fairy Bridge Stakes under Billy Lee for Willie McCreery.
The four-year-old daughter of Aussie Rules had to give weight all around, on account of her previous Group race victories, but she manage to defy the burden of top-weight, scoring by a length and a quarter.
Having tracked the leaders for much of the contest, she came with her challenge between horses from two furlongs out.
She hit the front inside the final furlong, staying on well under pressure to beat the 2/1 favourite, Sea Siren for Aidan & Joseph O’Brien, into second. Rasmeyaa ran a nice race, staying on well to take third, half a length back under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld at 12/1.
Willie McCreery said afterwards: "It all went according to plan. Billy felt that there would be a strong pace and she is very uncomplicated although the main thing is not to take a pull out of her.
"When she shot clear she was looking around.
"We may go to Longchamp with her now on Arc weekend for the Prix De La Foret over seven furlongs.
"She is a right mare and she has good form in France on soft ground. She doesn’t seem to mind what way it is.
"She is a big filly and I didn’t mind her carrying nine stone ten here as she is well able for it.
"I thought she might be a bit undercooked coming here tonight, but she doesn’t take a lot of work."
Additional reporting by Alan Magee