Ocean Quest was the first winner of the new flat season today, landing the Curragh's 'Alkumait At Castlefield' Irish EBF Maiden for trainer Jessica Harrington, jockey Shane Foley and first-season sire Sioux Nation.

Today's curtain raiser was run on quicker-than-usual 'yielding, good to yielding in places' ground, with the nine runners including Jim Bolger's Finsceal Go Deo a daughter of dual 1,000 Guineas winner Finsceal Beo. Meggy Moo was the first beaten horse this season, bucking Oisin Orr out of the saddle leaving the stalls, with Forceful Speed leading the field. Finsceal Go Deo faded to finish fourth with Ocean Quest, which overcame traffic trouble, finishing best, edging ahead to win by a head.

Afterwards relieved trainer Harrington reported “Shane said she was very professional but I thought she was never going to get out and I had a slight panic!

“She was never away once and is probably a six-furlong filly. We very nearly didn’t run her today because we think she wants six.”

She added “we have 70 two-year-olds this year which is the most we have ever had. When you have a lot of two-year-olds it’s great to get one on the board early.”

The chestnut filly was the first runner for freshman stallion Sioux Nation, which is 8/11 favourite with Skybet to be Leading First Season Flat Sire 2022.

Quotes from Alan Magee