Beautify downs Lady Iman in Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh
Beautify showed both plenty of heart and quality to account for Lady Iman at the Curragh and give Aidan O'Brien a fourth straight success in the Airlie Stud Stakes.
Most of the pre-race focus centred on Ger Lyons' unbeaten 8-15 favourite who skipped Royal Ascot in favour of this Group Two event.
She travelled powerfully before breezing into contention in the hands of Colin Keane – but ultimately she proved no match for Beautify, who stepped up significantly on her debut third at this track and was given a fine front-running ride by Ryan Moore.
The daughter of Wootton Bassett was joined by the big-race favourite who loomed menacingly with a furlong to run, but it was soon one-way traffic as the 2-1 winner galloped on strongly for a two-length success.
Juvenile filly Beautify claims the Group Two Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh under Ryan Moore for Aidan O'Brien as a 2/1 shot.
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"Ryan gave her a lovely ride. She had a lovely run first time and came forward lovely since then," said O'Brien.
"The plan was to get a run into her and then come here for this race. It's a very good race, a Group Two, an important race and a great track. It's a very important race for a filly."
O'Brien is already eyeing stepping Beautify up to seven furlongs, with a return to the Curragh for the Moyglare Stud Stakes during the Irish Champions Festival a possible option for later in the season.
"Ryan was very impressed. He said he'd love to go up to seven with her, that's a very good sign when you hear him talking like that," added O'Brien.
"Obviously she's a Moyglare-type filly when Ryan says that, but obviously gets six very strong and travelled very strong.
"Ryan said she really got going inside the furlong marker and started to really open up. It's great to hear that.
"She's by Wootton Bassett who is an incredible stallion. The speed that they have and they stay, which is incredible. It's very unusual, loads of speed and trips seem to be no problem to them either."
Colin Keane conjured a fine tune from Suzie Songs to edge out Flushing Meadows in a thrilling finish to the Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes.
Keane and trainer Ger Lyons may have been disappointed to see Lady Iman lose her unbeaten record only 35 minutes earlier but quickly gained their revenge on Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore with the Moyglare Stud-owned daughter of Starspangledbanner.
A winner on debut at Cork, Suzie Songs was sent off the 7-2 second-favourite for this Group Three event and it was the market principals who came to the fore inside the final furlong, as Suzie Songs and 1-4 favourite Flushing Meadows engaged in a duel to the finishing post, with only a short head separating the pair at the finish.
Lyons had won the race with his Group One star Babouche 12 months ago and was delighted to find the scoresheet once again, as he now eyes stepping up in trip for the Moyglare Stud Stakes back at the Curragh in September.
A real battle to the line at the Curragh but 7-2 shot Suzie Songs just holds off Flushing Meadows in the Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes.
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He said: "It was a last-minute decision (to run), but the beautiful thing about training for Moyglare is you are allowed to do that, there are no set plans.
"I'm blessed with owners like that, I wake up and I change my mind and do whatever.
"We were watching the entries, it wasn't the plan and she hasn't worked since Cork and I just threw her in.
"I thought it got to her today so we'll give her a wee break and we'll come back for the Moyglare. It's a race I'd love to put on the CV.
"We've a horse last night that ran well (Justiciar) and this filly. We have a nice bunch of horses heading that route.
"Colin said in Cork that she wanted further and sticking to the original plan her next race would have been seven, but this presented itself during the week with no entries, so here we are."
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