By Tom Frary
On a night that signalled the return to form of the Dermot Weld stable which was hit hard by a virus earlier this year, Eziyra won in straightforward fashion as her form entitled her to to provide the master of Rosewell House with a fifth renewal. Having beaten Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a Galway maiden last July, the homebred had finished runner-up to Sea of Grace (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) in the G3 Flame of Tara S. over a mile at The Curragh the following month before signing off with an authoritative success in the seven-furlong G3 C.L. & M.F. Weld Park S. back there in September. Back with a second in the Listed King George V Cup over 12 furlongs at Leopardstown June 8, the chestnut made her date in the G1 Irish Oaks back in Kildare last time and finished a respectable third in that July 15 Classic. Settled behind the leading trio early, she was asked to take command passing the quarter pole and gradually asserted from Bloomfield without a tough question being asked.
For Weld, the outcome was a relief following a relatively all-too-quiet Galway festival for the trainer who has made that particular meeting his own. “It was lovely to see Classic form upheld,” he told Irish Racing.com. “The ground is probably as soft as she wants and that was a little concern I had. She came out of the Oaks very well and it was an excellent renewal, as I said at the time, and she has progressed to today. I'll look at a race like the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu [at Chantilly Sept. 30], which would be the logical follow on for her. She is very talented, is a group winner as a two-year-old, is very consistent and is very adaptable ground-wise too. She is physically not the strongest, but mentally is very very strong and it was nice coming back that she won a group race for us today.” Speaking of the impact the virus has had on his stable, he added, “This has been my worst year–totally. I'm also not the only vet to have had a virus, ask John Oxx and Mark Johnston. I've told everyone for six or seven weeks that we've had a problem and that's it, but we're getting out of it now.”
Eziyra is a half-sister to Eshera (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), who captured the Listed Platinum S. on this card two years ago which proved to be her career finale. The useful dam, who has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old daughter of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) named Eneza (Ire) and a filly foal by Siyouni (Fr), is a half-sister to the G1 Ascot Gold Cup-winning duo Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) and Enzeli (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) and also the G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Prix Royal-Oak heroine Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and G1 Moyglare Stud S. scorer Edabiya (Ire) (Rainbow Quest). Interestingly, Eziyra shares the MSW and MGSP second dam Ebaziya (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) with the 2014 winner of this race Edelmira (Ire) (Peintre Celebre). If she takes in the Royallieu, she will be bidding to emulate the family's Ebiyza (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) who took that prize at its customary home of Longchamp four years ago. This star-studded family also features the high-class Taghrooda (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who requires no introduction as the heroine of the G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S.
Tuesday, Cork, Ireland
IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF GIVE THANKS S.-G3, €88,500, COR, 8-8, 3yo/up, f/m, 12fT, 2:37.93, sf.
1–EZIYRA (IRE), 124, f, 3, by Teofilo (Ire)
1st Dam: Eytarna (Ire) (SP-Ire), by Dubai Destination
2nd Dam: Ebaziya (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Ezana (Ire), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
O-His Highness The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Dermot Weld; J-Pat Smullen. €44,250. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ire, 7-3-3-1, $178,953. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Bloomfield (Ire), 124, f, 3, Teofilo (Ire)–Ramona (GB), by Desert King (Ire). (110,000gns RNA Ylg '15 TATOCT). O/B-John Connaughton (IRE); T-Willie McCreery. €14,250.
3–Wild Irish Rose (Ire), 124, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Sea Picture (Ire), by Royal Academy. O-Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €6,750.
Margins: 2HF, HF, 2. Odds: 1.75, 4.50, 3.50.
Also Ran: Glamorous Approach (Ire), Key To My Heart (Ire), Flying Fairies (Ire), Puppetshow (Ire), Tilly's Chilli (Ire), Dragon Fei (Ire). Scratched: (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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