Irish Oaks Glory For Azamour’s Covert Love

OUT IN THE OPEN
Supplemented by Hugo Palmer for Saturday’s G1 Darley Irish Oaks at The Curragh with the fledgling trainer looking for his first Classic win, the Listed Hoppings S. scorer Covert Love (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) justified all his faith to beat off the home challenge under a finely judged ride from Pat Smullen. Settled in a clear second early as Seamie Heffernan sent Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) several lengths into the lead, the 7-1 shot closed down that rival to take control approaching the furlong pole and kept up the relentless momentum to the line, where she held a 1 3/4-length margin over Jack Naylor (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who edged out the 15-8 favorite Curvy (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) for third by a head. “I’m terrified I’ll wake up and find myself still in my bed in Newmarket–I couldn’t be more excited,” commented Palmer, who is due to be married next Saturday. “It was an incredible ride and it worked out perfectly, with Aidan’s horse going off like a scalded cat and Pat making his own running and letting that one go as a hare. Full credit to the syndicate, not one of them had to think twice about coming here, as the €40,000 supplementary entry was at that point every penny she had won in prize-money. You have to have faith in your horses, particularly one like this who doesn’t show you an awful lot at home, and take that leap.”

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
DARLEY IRISH OAKS-G1, €400,000, CUR, 7-18, 3yo, f, 12fT, 2:30.38, yl.
1–@&COVERT LOVE (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Azamour (Ire)
1st Dam: Wing Stealth (Ire), by Hawk Wing
2nd Dam: Starlight Smile, by Green Dancer
3rd Dam: Bubinka, by Nashua
(€26,000 Ylg ‘13 GOFORB). O-FOMO Syndicate; B-Sommerville Bloodstock (IRE); T-Hugo Palmer; J-Pat Smullen. €232,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $304,272. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

2–Jack Naylor (GB), 126, f, 3, Champs Elysees (GB)–Fashionable (GB), by Nashwan. (€10,500 Ylg ‘13 TISEP). O-Gerard Byrne; B-Oliver Costello (GB); T-Jessica Harrington. €80,000.
3–Curvy (GB), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Frappe (Ire), by Inchinor (GB). (775,000gns Ylg ‘13 TAOCT). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Norelands & Hugo Lascelles (GB); T-David Wachman. €40,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HD, 2HF. Odds: 7.00, 5.50, 1.85.
Also Ran: Together Forever (Ire), Speedy Boarding (GB), Stellar Glow (Ire), Gretchen (GB), Words (Ire), Kissed By Angels (Ire). Scratched: Qualify (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

    Fifth when 33-1 on debut over a mile on Lingfield’s Polytrack in late October, Covert Love overcame a slow start and a wide trip to show promise without offering any hope that she could progress into a Classic winner in just nine months’ time. Again missing the kick and having to make up ground from rear when off the mark over 10 furlongs on Chelmsford’s all-weather circuit May 6, the imposing bay proved much more streetwise next time in a competitive handicap over an extended 10-furlong trip at York May 30. Laying up with the pace there before staying on strongly to extend her winning sequence, she was sent into battle with older fillies and mares in the Listed Hoppings S. again at a mile and a quarter June 26 and made virtually all to ward off the G2 Middleton S. runner-up Talmada (Cape Cross {Ire}). Hugo Palmer, whose first pattern-race success came under 12 months ago courtesy of Aktabantay (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G3 Solario S., has continued to enhance the reputation of his middle-division string in Newmarket since and his bold call to pay the €40,000 fee to supplement the unproven Covert Love was something to note. Quickly into her stride with her slow-starting days well behind her, she was soon denied the lead as Together Forever took no prisoners but settled perfectly with that rival providing the ideal point of reference up ahead. Shaken up on the home turn, she gradually ate into the Ballydoyle protagonist’s sizeable advantage and once she had worked her way past with just over a furlong remaining was never going to be drawn back by the chasing Curvy and Jack Naylor. “We went some gallop, but we were very confident she would stay,” rider Pat Smullen said. “I wasn’t letting Seamie away too far, because his is probably a very good filly but Hugo said this filly was in serious form. She’ll go further–stamina is her forte. She’s a lovely big mare who is improving all the time and there is more in her. She’s as genuine as the day is long and although she isn’t blessed with a great turn of foot, she is a classy grinder.” Her trainer may have a tilt at the G1 St Leger in mind at Doncaster Sept. 12. “She’s a lightly-raced, young filly and I genuinely believe her biggest days, if they get any bigger than this, could well be ahead of her,” he said. “She traveled over here perfectly and seems to have a cast-iron constitution, but Pat said this is as quick as she’d want the ground to be. It never seems to stop raining half the time, so I think we’ll be alright. There’s still time to put her in the St Leger and we’ll see what the weather does next month and maybe think about putting her in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks [at York Aug. 20]. I’m kicking myself now, as I wrote her name down for it and then crossed it out the day before the entry but she was a 92-rated handicapper then. A huge amount of the credit must go to my team at home, particularly Glen McGee who has ridden this filly every day this year and has been certain for a long time that she is top-class.” Hugo Merry, who forms part of the Fomo Syndicate, added, “She was bred on my farm in Cork and I loved her as a foal and a yearling, so we re-syndicated her with some friends after we didn’t sell her at Goffs. We are all here today, except for one pal in Hong Kong. She puts her ears forward and loves it, but might be a better 4-year-old as she’s still a bit lean and lacks a bit of girth. Hugo Palmer had her on the button today and he’s having a phenomenal year without having a huge string. I am partial to Azamour and although some of them can be one-race wonders, she just seems to thrive on it. None of us are particularly in debt, so I think she may stay in training and hopefully she will.”