Kates Choice completes hat-trick

KATES CHOICE, despaired of after eight successive failures culminating in a deplorable run in a handicap hurdle at Listowel seven weeks ago, completed her hat-trick in the Shannon Handicap Hurdle at Thurles last evening

It would appear that this transformation was brought about by her being put in foal after Listowel. She is not the first pregnant mare to make such startling improvement on the racetrack.

The Sean Treacy-trained four-year-old looked well beaten when stumbling over the third last allowing Back To Black to increase her lead established over the previous flight. Back To Black still had a two-length advantage over the next, but Kates Choice had got on terms on rising to the last and, ears pricked, got the upper hand 200 yards out to win snugly by three lengths.

She had been raised 21 lb after her second hurdles win at Clonmel, and now that she has completed her hat-trick her new rating will not be far short of 100.

"We nearly threw in the towel after Listowel, but we put her to Fayruz," said Treacy, who may next run Kates Choice in the Ulster Derby at Down Royal on July 15th. "If she gets black type it will be a help."

She won her maiden on the flat at Killarney last year, when trained by Michael Grassick, and did not run at all badly when eight lengths behind Timarida in a listed race at Leopardstown. She was sold for 5,500 guineas at Goffs October sales.

The well-backed Sentosa Star, previously successful in a Tralee bumper, led well inside the distance to win the Summer Apprentice Maiden by four lengths. Trained by Michael Hourigan, he was ridden by his son, Paul, who was having his second ride back since breaking his collar bone at Dundalk.

Mrs Jill Fanning, now 97, was present to greet her filly Force Thirteen after she had beaten Woody comfortably in the Tipperary Maiden Hurdle. Trained by Mouse Morris, Woody was ridden by Jason Titley, who flies to Teneriffe today to join Mick Fitzgerald's stag party.

Lowlack, trained in Straffan, Co Kildare, by Irene Oakes and ridden by Niall McCullagh, drew away in the straight to land the Horse and Jockey Handicap by two lengths. The Niniski filly is well suited to fast going.

Eugene O'Sullivan's Loftus Lad looked set to win the Beginners Chase very comfortably, but had to cope with the rallying Cuban Question on the run-in before winning by a length-and-a-half.

Con Collins, saddles Almaty for today's King's Stand Stakes ate Royal Ascot. By virtue of his success in last year's Molcomb Stakes at Goodwood from the subsequent Flying Childers winner Cayman Kai, Almaty was top of Timeform ratings for Irish trained two-year-olds.

David Hanley's Lidanna was a convincing winner of the Group Three Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh, having got up to short head Ailleacht in a listed race over five furlongs at Tipperary. She is progressing and I expect her to run a big race today.

The Jim Bolger-trained Erne Project, who got up to win her maiden at Wexford last month returns, for the Gorey Handicap over the same distance this evening and may prove too good for Near Gale.

The 20-length winner of her maiden hurdle at Tralee, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Fly Rosey is taken to win the Hilary Murphy Travel Novice Hurdle. And although without a race for some time, the former O'Brien-trained Fortunes Luck may be fit enough to land the Bree Handicap Hurdle.

Aidan O'Brien will be double handed in his first assault on the Budweiser Irish Derby on Sunday week. "I have decided to run His Excellence as well as Rainbow Blues (second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas). Christy Roche will make up his mind which to ride after both colts have worked tomorrow morning," said O'Brien yesterday.