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- Impressive Jancis shows electric turn of foot on debut
Donal Murphy
Impressive Jancis shows electric turn of foot on debut
Jancis and Billy Lee
© Photo Healy Racing
The Willie McCreery-trained Jancis showed an electric turn of foot when springing a surprise on debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
Sent off a 40/1 chance, the Tamayuz chestnut was last to be loaded and raced towards rear under Billy Lee, who donned the colours of Chilean owner/breeder Arturo Cousino.
While she had just two rivals behind with three-furlongs to go, she really got motoring when ridden on the outer in the straight, sweeping to the front inside the final 100 yards, eventually coming home two and three quarters of a length to the good.
The Johnny Murtagh-trained Ebanza looked set to score when hitting the front over a furlong from home, but she couldn't hold off the winner and had to settle for second under Ben Coen.
The front-running Lucky Out (20/1) was another two-lengths away in third, while Golden Ocean (15/8f) faded in the closing stages and finished fifth.
"They went very hard up front. Billy said she jumped smart but he just wanted to settle her in," said McCreery.
"She was a bit free and leery, the road is about 100 yards after the stalls, so he just wanted to get her into a nice rhythm.
"She's a bit nervous and the whole thing about today was to get her started. The owner has been very patient with her and we wanted to get her started, give her a good day out and see where we go from there.
"It's a beautiful track and it's riding lovely, there is a lovely long straight. She turned in and Billy said he gave her a chance and she just lengthened the whole way to the line and she loved it.
"How good the race was, I don't know. She's been doing that at home but she's just a little bit leery, she's nervous and hasn't got confidence in herself. That will do her the world of good, she only got one flick there.
"Nancy Sexton sent her to me. Those colours are 100 years old in Chile and it's the first time they've been seen here in Ireland so it's a great pleasure to train a winner first time out for Arturo.
"Hopefully it's onwards and upwards with her."
STEWARDS REPORTS
The Raceday Stewards informed M.A.Molloy, trainer, that Just For One Day would have to be recertified before being declared to run from stalls again.
R.P. Whelan, rider of Expecting A Star trained by Peter Fahey, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount burst a blood vessel. This was subsequently confirmed by the I.H.R.B. Veterinary Officer.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson