Hazariya prospers in Curragh mud-fest

Hazariya secured a valuable Group Three success in yesterday's Athasi Stakes, but the John Oxx-trained filly did it in conditions that smacked more of point-to-point than black type.

Persistent rain turned the ground at the Curragh officially heavy after the second race, and just an hour later the conditions had turned so bad that the final four races were all started by tape.

It was hardly ideal for a seven-furlong 1,000 Guineas trial, but the eight-strong Athasi field behaved admirably at the start and at the two-furlong pole, as muck and water covered the runners, it looked like the former Cheveley Park winner, Airwave, had the race in the bag.

Michael Kinane was anxiously riding the other joint favourite, Hazariya, when Kieren Fallon pressed the button on Airwave. She quickly led, but with over a furlong still to go on the testing conditions her suspect stamina started to run out.

The 10 to 1 outsider, Sky High Flyer, pounced on Airwave, but any celebrations by her trainer, Paul Nolan, were cut short when Kinane, who had navigated a route to the stands rail, powered Hazariya home to win by a neck.

The 13-time champion jockey has ridden at the Curragh for over 30 years but he was hard-pushed to remember conditions as bad as yesterday's.

"The only thing I can remember like it was when Flash Of Steel won the Guineas (1986)," Kinane said. "But I can't complain too much. If the ground wasn't like that I probably wouldn't have won!"

Hazariya is likely to skip the Irish Guineas and be upped in trip for the 10-furlong Blue Wind Stakes.

She completed a double for the Oxx-Kinane team, who unveiled a possible Derby candidate - but not the one punters expected.

The well-touted Raydan was odds on for the mile maiden, but struggled on the ground and could only finish fourth to Polish Odyssey.

Instead, it was the regally-bred Ehsan who got a 33 to 1 Derby quote from Paddy Power with a seven-length defeat of Helvetio in the 10-furlong maiden.

"He is entered in the Derby but not some of the trials because he is so lazy at home," said Oxx, who could aim the son of Sinndar and the 1997 Irish Oaks winner Ebadiyla at the Gowran Derby Trial. "He will need to improve, but he might do that. He would like better ground."

The Britain versus Ireland jockeys challenge in the mile and a half handicap turned even more damp when the British captain, Frankie Dettori, failed to show.

Aidan O'Brien first juvenile runner of the season, Where's That Tiger, just won the opener by a short head, and Striking Ambition won his second Curragh Listed race as odds on in the Woodlands Stakes.