News

Irish Lights Up Caulfield Ahead Of Thousand Guineas

21st Sep 2009

Virtual Formguide - Saturday, 19 September 2009

Three-year-old filly Irish Lights is the horse to beat in next month's Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) after another scintillating performance, this time in the $125,000 Group 3 Schweppes Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield this afternoon.

Settling in sixth position with Glen Boss in the saddle, Light Lights quickly rounded up the leaders in the straight to record an impressive victory.

Irish Lights ($3-$3.50-$3.40 fav) defeated Set For Fame ($10-$11) by three quarters of a length with Mont Fleuri ($11-$12) a similar margin away in third.

Both placegetters rattled home with Set For Fame completing her last 400m along the rails in a time of 22.37 seconds.

Sadly for connections of the Peter Moody trained galloper, she bled from both nostrils post race and has now incurred the mandatory three month ban.

Headway fought on gamely to hold down fourth ahead of the fast-finishing Fomalite ($51) with Corsaire ($10) reeling off the third quickest 200m of the race, 22.82 seconds, to finish sixth.

Although impressed by her efforts, trainer David Hayes believes there is more improvement in the daughter of Fastnet Rock.

"I just thought she was feeling it the last little bit second-up over 1400m but it was a great ride by Glen Boss," Hayes said.

"After 300m you'd think she'd drawn barrier three really, where he (Boss) had her, she was in a great spot.

"All she had to do was quicken and make that 400m run and she did that.

"She's still learning and she had a bit of a look in the straight but I think Glen will be pretty happy with her," he added.

Hayes is undecided on whether to prepare Irish Lights for the $250,000 Group 2 Edward Manifold (1600m) at Flemington on October 3 or go straight into the $500,000 Group 1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 14.

By Fastnet Rock out of a Hennessy mare Aspen Falls, Irish Lights was a $230,000 purchase from the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

She is undefeated this preparation after winning a three-year-old fillies handicap over 1100m at Flemington earlier this month.

Last preparation, Irish Lights finished second behind Rostova in the Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000m) before failing in the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) four weeks later. She now has won two from four with her prizemoney now standing at $139,500.