Lush Lashes claims honours at Leopardstown
Sunday, 7 September 2008 17:35Lush Lashes, the 9-4 favourite, secured another Group One victory in the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes.
Trained by Jim Bolger, the iron-willed filly held off the late challenge of Nahoodh and Halfway To Heaven to seize the day under Kevin Manning.
The Galileo filly has this season now won three races at the highest level.
Bolger's charge was always prominent in the one-mile contest and stalked the pacesetting Lady Gloria some way from home.
But once Manning pressed the button as the pair straightened for home, the response was as emphatic as it was decisive.
Lush Lashes galloped strongly all the way to line - but by no means had it all her own way.
Nahoodh and Halfway To Heaven both tried to outflank the market leader to initiate a pulsating finish.
But Lush Lashes' class and battling spirit again came to the fore as Manning's mount claimed a neck triumph over Nahoodh, with Halfway To Heaven third.
Elsewhere on the card, Famous Name returned to action in the Group Three At The Races Kilternan Stakes and was sent off the 2-5 favourite, but Dermot Weld's colt could not cope with Aidan O'Brien's The Bogberry.
The French Derby runner-up was brought from the rear by Pat Smullen and led into the final furlong, but The Bogberry (9-1) swooped down the outside under Colm O'Donoghue and claimed the spoils.
David Marnane landed a notable one-two in the Leopardstown Pavilion September Handicap, but it was the less fancied of the pair who took the spoils, with 20-1 chance Rain Rush getting the
verdict by three-quarters of a length in the hands of Seamus Heffernan over Maundy Money.
Baliyana appreciated a drop in class to make virtually every yard of the running under Mick Kinane in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
