Fran Berry has a couple of recent eyecatchers to add to your My Stable tracker, including a sprinter that has been given a lowly mark.
LA VITA NOVA – 4th, 4.40 Navan, June 8
Jessica Harrington won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden at Navan with Mo Ghille Mar on Saturday, but it was the performance of the stable second string and debutant La Vita Nova that caught the eye.
Slowly away, the daughter of Gleneagles took her time to find her stride and in a steadily-run race she was shuffled to the back of the pack.
As the pace increased on the downhill section she was outpaced, through greenness more than anything, but she finished well on the rising ground, shaping every inch like a future maiden winner over 10 furlongs.
She looks likely to improve at this trip or even up in distance, her half-sister Nell Quickly a multiple winner over a mile-and-a-half, so she looks one to follow in both the short and medium term.
LABHAOISE – 5th, 6.10 Fairyhouse, June 7
The seven-furlong CPAC Modular Maiden featured Kortez Bay getting off the mark and his winning effort somewhat spreadeagled the field of 15 on the day, but there were one or two eyecatchers in behind, most notably Labhaoise for Natalia Lupini.
This filly by Phoenix Of Spain had shown up well on her return to action eight days before this race at Down Royal where she raced keenly and tired inside the final few furlongs. Again, a week on from that, she was quite keen in the early stages and ran green in the home straight, but I really liked how she finished off her race.
Although beaten over 11 lengths, she definitely showed a hint of ability and given the way she shaped she appears to have the makings of a sprinter, something her pedigree backs up as her dam, Loving, was a winner over six furlongs and placed over that trip, too.
On the back of that third effort she was allotted an opening handicap mark of 63, which allows Labhaoise to creep into the lowest grade of handicap in Ireland, so it will be interesting to see in the coming weeks where connections aim her, as she has the potential to attract market support on handicap debut.
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