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Queen Anne's Lace weaves her way to victory

Dermot Weld's Queen Anne's Lace claimed a big win in Gowran
Dermot Weld's Queen Anne's Lace claimed a big win in Gowran

Queen Anne's Lace produced a dominant display to make a successful debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Gowran Park.

Dermot Weld's American-bred filly was a 10-1 shot for her racecourse introduction and travelled well throughout in the hands of Pat Smullen.

Queen Anne's Lace began to edge closer to the front shortly after the home turn and once let down, she stretched clear impressively to score by four and a half lengths.

The experienced Bound was second, with 11-8 favourite Wayside Flower only third.

"She's a nice filly. She's owned and bred by Calumet Farm and it's lovely to have a nice filly for them," said Weld.

"She'll have one more run this season and we'll have a crack at a stakes race.

"She worked well the other morning and I thought she'd run very well. There is nice improvement in her.

"She had a good draw in (stall) one but it didn't really matter as she was just too good for them.

"She stays well and handles that ground. She will always need a nice ease in the ground."

Rekindling confirmed debut promise on his second competitive start in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden.

The son of High Chaparral was runner-up to the exciting Capri on his introduction at the Galway Festival and was 7-1 to go one better for soon-to-retire trainer David Wachman and jockey Wayne Lordan.

Leopardstown second World War and Curragh third Grandee tried to make a race of it inside the closing stages of the one-mile heat, but Rekindling saw them off by two and a half lengths and half a length respectively.

The Weld-trained Rich History was the 9-4 favourite. The son of Dubawi is a half-brother to Free Eagle, the yard's Royal Ascot hero last season, and also counts talented pair Custom Cut and Sapphire as siblings, but he was ultimately well beaten.

Wachman said: "He's a grand colt. He ran well in Galway and is a nice horse.

"Ger Lyons told me to tell the press that whoever gets him next year would be some mug if they messed him up.

"I don't know where he'll go now. He'll be a grand mile-and-a-half horse.

"I'll speak to the owners but it's possible he might not run again this year as he's only a frame."

Jockey Colin Keane won the feature race, the Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes, aboard Duchess Andorra and doubled his tally when Annie Irish (10-1) tidily pocketed division two of the Tote Pick 6 Is Heading For One Million Euro Handicap.

Trainer Liz Doyle said of Annie Irish: "It took a while to get her fit again and it's good to have her back.

"She loves this place and always runs well here."

Weld and Smullen also left the track with a brace after the Aga Khan-owned Massayan (3-1) added to his Galway gains with a head defeat of Moonmeister in the gowranpark.ie Rated Race.

The trainer said: "He's a very tough, genuine colt.

"He battled hard to win in Galway and he battled hard to win again.

"It was a good performance. He'll maybe go for a handicap now."

Duchess Andorra's trainer Johnny Murtagh was similarly in double form after the Billy Lee-ridden Pacodali (5-1) did the business in the Live Music After Racing Maiden.

Murtagh said: "He had some good form last year. I thought he might have needed the run but his class got him through."

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