It would have been laughable to suggest that Seventh Heaven (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could win an Irish Oaks immediately after witnessing her demise at Epsom where she was beaten over 30 lengths, but if any stable can turn around a deficit like that it is Ballydoyle and she duly moved some earth to ultimately prevail with a degree of authority in the Darley-sponsored Curragh Classic on Saturday.
Apparently unable to deal with the Surrey track's unique contours and camber when a far-off sixth in the Oaks, the half-sister to the 2011 G1 Middle Park S. hero Crusade (Mr. Greeley) surprisingly just needed a stern stamina test on a more conventional track to flaunt her wares. Keeping the 4-5 favourite Even Song (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) company in rear early, the 14-1 shot was shooting forward where that stablemate was already treading water at the top of the straight and by the time she reached the furlong pole she had only Architecture (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) to pass. As she had in the May 7 Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial, Seventh Heaven mastered that rival soon after but whereas there was only a neck between them in that Oaks prep there was an ever-extending 2 3/4 length margin separating them this time as Seamie Heffernan yet again came up trumps on the major stage.
“We're blessed with fillies and they are taking their races well. She just didn't handle Epsom,” he said. “She was a bit more relaxed today. If I was given the choice. I'd have probably ridden Even Song. I wasn't and there wasn't much between the rest of them. With fillies some of them shine and some don't.”
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
DARLEY IRISH OAKS-G1, €400,000, CUR, 7-16, 3yo, f, 12fT, 2:34.53, gd.
1–@&SEVENTH HEAVEN (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: La Traviata (GSW-US, $129,248), by Johannesburg
2nd Dam: Piedras Negras, by Unbridled
3rd Dam: Provisions, by Devil's Bag
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-La Traviata Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €228,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 6-3-0-0, $301,837. *1/2 to Crusade (Mr. Greeley), GSW-Eng, $164,123. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Architecture (Ire), 126, f, 3, Zoffany (Ire)–Brigayev (Ity), by Fasliyev. (€4,800 Wlg '13 GOFNOV; £26,000 Ylg '14 DNPRM). O-Lael Stable; B-Massimo Passamonti (IRE); T-Hugo Palmer. €76,000.
3–Harlequeen (GB), 126, f, 3, Canford Cliffs (Ire)–Aurelia (GB), by Rainbow Quest. (32,000gns Ylg '14 TATOCT). O-Mrs S Brandt; B-Richard Moses Bloodstock (GB); T-Mick Channon. €36,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1 1/4, 4. Odds: 14.00, 6.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Turret Rocks (Ire), Somehow (Ire), An Cailin Orga (Ire), Even Song (Ire), Red Stars (Ire), We Are Ninety (Ire), Pretty Perfect (Ire), Ajman Princess (Ire). Scratched: Way To My Heart (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Prior to her effort at Epsom, Seventh Heaven had looked a promising filly in four starts which saw improvement each time. On her second and final juvenile outing and first meaningful show of ability, she was fourth to the subsequent G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner First Victory (Ire) (Teofilo) over seven furlongs at Newmarket in September before getting off the mark in a mile maiden at Dundalk Apr. 18. In the Lingfield Oaks Trial, she put up a perfectly respectable preparatory effort for the main event but whereas Architecture took to Epsom like a duck to water, Seventh Heaven was all at sea behind the stable's imperious Minding.
Nevertheless, on her previous showing she had earned the right to be here and Seamie Heffernan was happy to wait with Even Song at the back as the stable's Pretty Perfect (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) predictably cut out a solid pace. With Ryan Moore visually troubled to get the favourite going in early straight, Heffernan was a happy passenger as Seventh Heaven took him into contention behind Architecture. Sent alongside that rival at the furlong pole, there was only one winner there as the imposing bay stayed on powerfully to provide Aidan O'Brien with a fifth edition.
“Seamus was riding her work and he had second pick and wanted to ride her,” he explained. “I was a bit surprised, but Seamus had faith in her. We thought she'd win very easy at Lingfield, but she just won so we thought she didn't handle the track and she didn't handle Epsom either. She was always a high-quality filly and obviously, the flat track suited better today and she loved the ground. They went a good gallop and on the different track we saw improvement–I was surprised when I saw her in the parade ring and had to take a second look at her to see the physical development. I suppose she could go to York [for the Aug. 18 G1 Yorkshire Oaks]. She's a lovely, big, flowing Galileo filly.”
Of the seventh-placed Even Song, he added, “I trained her hard for [Royal] Ascot and didn't want to train her hard again. Maybe it left a mark. Ryan said she was very slowly away and never fired up and never got into it. She's a big mare and she'll be okay.”
An impressive 59th individual group 1 winner for her phenomenal sire, Seventh Heaven is also the second scorer at that level for her GIII Victory Ride S.-winning dam La Traviata after the aforementioned Crusade. Another of her half-siblings is Cristoforo Colombo (Henrythenavigator), once well-regarded in this stable but never able to live up to the expectations despite finishing third in the G2 Coventry S. and runner-up in the G2 Railway S. at two. He even slipped up and unseated during that year's G1 Phoenix S. prior to finishing fourth in the G1 Middle Park S. and returning to be fifth in the G1 2000 Guineas and seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Also related to the MGSW Jack La Traviata is the best foal bred from Piedras Negras, whose dam Provisions captured the Listed Turf Classic S. before producing the dual group scorer Jack Sullivan (Belong To Me). Provisions descends from Novara (Dance Spell), who is a half to the GI Secretariat S. and GI Rothmans International S.-winning Southjet (Northjet {Ire}). Seventh Heaven has a once-raced 2-year-old full-sister named Kiss Me Not (Ire) in the same yard and a yearling full-brother to boot.
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