By Tom Frary
Suffering defeats in the G3 Albany S. and G3 Anglesey S. at or around six furlongs, TDN Rising Star Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}) looked much more the filly that impressed so much on debut when taking Saturday's G3 Flame of Tara Irish EBF S. over a mile at The Curragh. Switched off towards the rear early by Donnacha O'Brien, the 7-4 favourite was delivered to cut down stablemate Peach Tree (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 200 yards from the finish and readily assert for a 1 1/2-length success, with fellow Ballydoyle representative Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) making a stable one-two-three the same margin away. “She has plenty of ability, but I had to get her relaxed and she did so beautifully and picked up well,” her rider said. “She's a little bit quirky, but when they have talent you don't mind that. She got a bit idle in the last furlong and did all her racing between the two and the one and got there in a matter of strides.”
On debut over six furlongs here May 26, Just Wonderful overcame greenness to go clear of the runners on the far-side rail and beat the smart stand's-side pair Lethal Promise (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Gossamer Wings (Scat Daddy). Kept at that trip for the Albany at Royal Ascot June 22, the bay was hot favourite for that affair but proved too keen and paid the price by finishing 14th. While there was improvement when third in the Anglesey over an extra 63 yards here July 21, the feeling entering this race was that she had something to prove but the mile gave her time to move up her gears with ease and the doubters were silenced. “She's a filly with plenty of pace and a great pedigree and she relaxed and quickened very well,” Aidan O'Brien commented. “Ryan loved her the first day and maybe things just didn't work for her after that. She's got the options of the [G1] Fillies' Mile [at Newmarket Oct. 12] or the [G1 Prix Marcel] Boussac [at ParisLongchamp Oct. 7] or she could drop back to seven for the [G1] Moyglare [Stud S. at The Curragh Sept. 16]. Seamus was delighted with his filly [Peach Tree] and said she stayed well, while the third [Fleeting] was a little bit on the bridle early as she had run over six last time.”
Just Wonderful's dam Wading (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) was forced to sign off after winning Newmarket's G2 Rockfel S. in 2013, but along with the talent she showed on that occasion she is also a true blue-blood as a daughter of the G3 Blue Wind S. runner-up Cherry Hinton (GB) (Green Desert). Therefore a full-sister to the stable's G1 Irish Oaks and G2 Ribblesdale S. heroine Bracelet (Ire) and a half to the recent GI Belmont Oaks winner Athena (Ire) by Montjeu's Camelot (GB), Wading is a granddaughter of Urban Sea (Miswaki), ho needs no introduction. While the family has two 2,000 Guineas winners, it is lacking a 1,000 heroine and Just Wonderful could easily be the one. Wading's 3-year-old colt Lost Treasure (Ire) (War Front) was a winner the previous evening at this venue, while she also has a yearling colt by War Front colt and a foal by American Pharoah.
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
FLAME OF TARA IRISH EBF S.-G3, €80,000, Curragh, 9-1, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:38.78, g/y.
1–JUST WONDERFUL, 126, f, 2, by Dansili (GB)
1st Dam: Wading (Ire) (GSW-Eng), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cherry Hinton (GB), by Green Desert
3rd Dam: Urban Sea, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Donnacha O'Brien. €47,200. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $74,181. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Peach Tree (Ire), 126, f, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Pikaboo (GB), by Pivotal (GB). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Pikaboo Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €16,000.
3–Fleeting (Ire), 126, f, 2, Zoffany (Ire)–Azafata (Spa), by Motivator (GB). (€50,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €100,000 Ylg '17 ARAUG). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Fernando Bermudez (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €8,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1HF, 2 3/4. Odds: 1.75, 8.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Chynna (GB), Vallambrosa (Ire), Bandiuc Eile (Ire), Lightning Amber (Ire), Dragon Roll (Ire). Scratched: Bodhicitta (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
