18+ | Commercial Content | T&Cs apply | Wagering and T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly | Advertising Disclosure
icon
Donal Murphy

Donal Murphy

Outsider Iveagh in Athasi shock

Mon 4th May 2015, 15:47

Iveagh Gardens (white cap) comes with her run under Niall McCullaghIveagh Gardens (white cap) comes with her run under Niall McCullagh
© Photo Healy Racing

Found was disappointingly beaten on her seasonal reappearance as Iveagh Gardens sprang a 25/1 shock in the Group 3 Canford Cliffs EBF Athasi Stakes.

Trained by Charles O'Brien and ridden by Niall McCullagh the winner was sent off the outsider of the field after she finished a well-beaten eighth on her seasonal reappearance over the course in March.

Settled behind the leaders she was ridden in rear with a furlong to race as the 5/4 favourite Found kicked for home under Ryan Moore.

A gap emerged for the winner with less than 200 yards to race and she soon found another gear, sweeping to the front before going on to win comfortably by two lengths.

The favourite, who had looked the most likely winner inside the final furlong, had no response to Iveagh Gardens surge and she had to settle for second.

Charles O'Brien said afterwards: "When the ground gets like that not many handle it. But she doesn't just handle it, she enjoys it.

"That (Group 3) is on her CV now, and it makes a big difference to a filly. "What she does now will obviously depend on the ground but she could travel again."

Aidan O'Brien was satisfied with the performance of the runner-up as he said: "I'm very happy with that, and she just got tired on the bad ground. We needed to run her before the Irish 1,000 Guineas, and that is where she will go now."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.