Electric Finsceal Beo races to Guineas glory
Sunday 6th May, 2007
Finsceal Beo lit up the NatWest Rowley Mile in winning the Stan James 1000 Guineas. Picture Steven Cargill
FINSCEAL Beo - Irish for ‘living legend - once again proved how well named she is in emphatically winning the Stan James 1000 Guineas at Newmarket this afternoon.
The distance of victory from fellow Irish challenger Arch Swing was two-and-a-half lengths and the time was the fastest ever recorded by either sex in a Guineas. But the bare facts don’t go half the way to outlining just how impressive the Jim Bolger-trained filly was in becoming a classic heroine on the NatWest Rowley Mile.
The 5-4 favourite was always prominent on the stands’ rail and turned in an electric display inside the last two-and-a-half furlongs, quickening clear in dazzling fashion under jockey Kevin Manning. It provided a truly uplifting end to a rollercoaster week for the Bolger team in which their 2000 Guineas hope - the long-term ante-post favourite Teofilo - was ruled out through injury at the 48-hour declaration stage.
He said: “This is a brilliant filly and I expected her to win like that.” Manning - Bolger’s son-in-law - was similarly quick to hail this outstanding horse and said: “She did it very easily and she would have won at any distance. The filly ticks all the right boxes and Mr Bolger has done a brilliant job.”
The first two in the race are likely to do battle once more in the Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh on May 27. Simply Perfect, who finished third, is set to find herself stepped up in trip for an Oaks tilt, according to her trainer Jeremy Noseda.
While forced to settle for third in the 1000 Guineas, Noseda had earlier been in the winner’s enclosure with Sixties Icon, who took the StanJamesUK.com Jockey Club Stakes by three lengths.
Noseda said of last year’s St Leger hero: “The way the race was run didn’t suit him ideally but maybe he has picked up more speed as he has got older. He will improve for the race and we will go next for the Coronation Cup.”
Those looking for classic clues for Epsom were given a striking winner of the StansPoker.co.Uk Pretty Polly Stakes in the shape of Dalvina. Her trainer Ed Dunlop saddled Ouija Board to win the same race in 2004 before she marched on to Oaks glory - and so much more. Connections will have their fingers crossed Dalvina can emulate some of the legendary mare’s Group 1 achievements.
Dunlop said: “I’m told that she has won today by the same distance (six lengths) as Ouija Board did and we will now consider the same route and take her to Epsom.”
Sprint supremo David Nicholls had a one-two in the Group 3 Stan James Palace House Stakes with Tax Free short-heading Peace Offering in a thriller, while Achilles Of Troy shaped like a two-year-old of massive potential in striking by five lengths for trainer Aidan O’Brien in the Stan James Maiden.
By Tony Rushmer