Lesson In Humility

Lesson In Humility ran out an impressive winner of the Ballyogan Stakes over six furlongs at Leopardstown last Thursday evening. This was all very straightforward. She was ideally drawn in stall three, she bounced out of the gate nicely for Andrew Elliott, took up the box seat just on the withers of leader Kalidaha as they left the back straight, disputed the lead with that rival around the home turn, took it up, going easily, as they straightened up for home, quickened nicely to take a length and a half out of her field a furlong out, and kept on well all the way to the line, extending her advantage to two lengths by the time she got there. No sweat.

This looked like a decent Group 3 race for fillies on paper beforehand, and Lesson In Humility came out by far the best horse in the race. On the negative side, second favourite Pursuit Of Glory never got competitive, while the second and third fillies, San Sicharia and Maoineach, probably need another furlong to be seen at their best, but you can only ever beat what is put in front of you, and Karl Burke’s filly looked very good in so doing.

The daughter of Mujadil was really progressive last season, her year ending with victory in a listed race on soft ground at Goodwood, and then a really good run to finish within two lengths of the winner King’s Apostle in the Diadem Stakes at Ascot at the end of September, when she may have finished even closer had she raced with the main group instead of in a breakaway duo on the far side. She kicked off this season by winning another listed race for fillies at Nottingham over six furlongs, when she had subsequent conditions race winner Carcinetto behind in second, and subsequent Group 2 Temple Stakes winner Look Busy back in third (for all that that filly is more effective over five furlongs than six).

This win at Leopardstown was another step forward. Six furlongs is her distance, she continues to progress and there is no telling how high she can go. They thought that soft ground would disadvantage her before she won at Goodwood last September, but it is apparent that all types of ground come alike to her – she certainly didn’t seem to mind the faster ground on Thursday, and it was officially firm when she won at Nottingham. She does tend to flash her tail a little in the closing stages of a race, but she has a really willing attitude. She is in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, and why not? King’s Apostle is as short as 9/1 for that in places, and she has very little to make up on him on their running in the Diadem over the same course and distance in September. She has probably gone on again from then, Karl Burke’s team continue to zing, and odds of 25/1 about her for that contest are big.

© The Irish Field, 13th June 2009