APTLY named filly, Brilliance, gave Mrs Chryss O'Reilly her first Group One winner of the season, when she stormed home an Impressive four-length winner of the Prix St Alary at Longchamps on Sunday.
Here in Ireland, O'Reilly has another filly of lesser status in Candide; but one for whom she would be very happy to see Dermot Weld notch a win in the Elm Maiden at Tipperary this evening. This was an expensive filly at the sales in America and her pedigree reads all the better as her dam Carnet Solaire is a half sister to Korveya, dam of last year's smashing classic filly Bosra Sham.
This will be the first run of the year for Candide; but she did show speed in both her juvenile outings and unlike Bosra Sham, sprinting is her forte.
Since the start of the season. the flat-racing has been dominated by the Aidan O'Brien and Jim Bolger stables and while they come into competition with fancied runners Monongahela and Bint Alsarab in the Golden Race, the most valuable flat event on the programme, neither may be able to peg back the Con Collins-trained Mr Lightfoot, who has been competing in superior company. This represents a new distance for Mr Lightfoot but as his dam Lundylux is a half sister to the Italian Derby winner Welnor, there is no real reason to doubt his ability to stay.
When Charles O'Brien was weeding out some three year olds at the end of last season, to make room for his intake of yearlings, the stable jockey Christy Roche became the new handler of Bicycle Thief. So far he is still a maiden; but he ran well enough at Sligo to warrant that Roche's outlay of £10,000 guineas was money well invested.
. Kieren Fallon will be out of action until tomorrow at least after damaging ligaments in his arm at Goodwood yesterday. The Irishman rode in the first two races but gave up his remaining three rides after suffering the injury while partnering Sir Joey into second place in the Goodwood Park Hotel Handicap.
He was stood down by the race-course doctor and left the track to receive physiotherapy. "I've pulled some ligaments in my right arm riding Sir Joey," said Fallon. "I'm going to have some physio now. I won't be riding tomorrow. I don't know how long I will be out of action but it will be for more than a day."
