By Tom Frary
Steadily building towards smart form but denied the luck when fifth in Tipperary's G3 Fairy Bridge S. last time Aug. 30, I Can Fly (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) got a clear passage through Saturday's G2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang S., or Solonaway S., to provide Ryan Moore with a Leopardstown group success to go with his Doncaster laurels. Settled in rear early as Kenya (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) dominated proceedings up ahead, the 7-2 joint-second favourite was delivered wide to gradually reel in her stablemate and assert from 150 yards out for a 1 3/4-length verdict. “We thought the world of her in the spring. She just disappointed a few times and it took her a while to get it back together,” Aidan O'Brien commented. “She did it very nicely and quickened up very well. All those fillies' races are there for her and she'll probably stay a bit further than a mile. She got home well today and it was a good, solid pace.”
I Can Fly, who was third in the G3 Oh So Sharp S. at Newmarket in October, had shaped like a Classic contender when in that same spot on her return in the G3 Ballylinch Stud 1000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs here Apr. 14 but was 11th in the G1 1000 Guineas back at Newmarket May 6 and eighth in the June 1 G1 Epsom Oaks. Eye-catching when fourth on her next start in Galway's Listed Corrib Fillies S. back at seven Aug. 2, the bay exhibited all the class her trainer had seen on home territory when recording her first black-type success in the Listed Ruby S. over this trip at Killarney Aug. 22 before running into traffic on the rail during the Fairy Bridge.
A half to the listed-winning Viscount Barfield (GB) (Raven's Pass), who was also placed in the G3 Polar Cup and G3 Supreme S., I Can Fly is out of a half to the stable's high-class but ill-fated G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and GI Keeneland Turf Mile hero Landseer (GB) (Danehill) and also to the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. scorer Ikhtyar (Ire) (Unfuwain). Also connected to the Listed Sandringham S. winner and G1 Nassau S. third Moneycantbuymelove (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who in turn produced the G1 Takarazuka Kinen hero Mikki Rocket (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the dam has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old colt by Mastercraftsman (Ire) named Geomatrician (Fr), a yearling colt by Siyouni (Fr) and a 2018 colt by Pivotal (GB).
I CAN FLY (GB), f, 3, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Madonna Dell'Orto (GB), by Montjeu (Ire).
(240,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Rockwell Bloodstock (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €118,000.
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