Moonlit Garden

Moonlit Garden’s win at The Curragh last Sunday hardly went under the radar, but it was a thoroughly impressive performance and she is worth inclusion here. After breaking well enough, rider Pat Smullen just let the daughter of Exceed And Excel bowl along on the stands rail. Always travelling well, the Dermot Weld-trained filly was still under no pressure two furlongs out and responded to Smullen’s urgings to go readily clear inside the last furlong.

Moonlit Garden was not strongly fancied for this, she was a 10/1 shot, in what looked to be a hot maiden, but her trainer had reported that she had shown a good bit at home and afterwards he mentioned the Queen Mary as the probable next step. On this performance she is well worth a trip to the Royal meeting, she did have the advantage of the rail, but she always travelled easily and showed no signs of inexperience when the pressure came on, quickening clear really impressively. The race looks to be full of potential winners and the horse who finished sixth, the Tracy Collins-trained filly Anadolu, the only horse who has run again to date, came out and won her maiden easily at Down Royal on Friday.

There is nothing special about Moonlit Garden’s pedigree, but she was bought for £50,000 at the breeze-up sales at Kempton and that already looks to be a bargain. She will have an obvious chance if lining up for the Queen Mary, but six furlongs may be a more suitable trip.

23rd May 2010