Servalan

Servalan did well to win the Listed Yeomanstown Stud Stakes.

Prominent from early on the far side, just behind the leaders, Jessica Harrington’s filly travelled well to the three-furlong marker, but the gap between Probability and Heavenly Holly closed just when she was starting to go forward. Shane Foley had to sit still for a few strides until the gap opened again, and the filly had to re-gather her momentum and pick up again, but she did, and she finished off her race strongly to get home by a short head from Woody Creek, who finished strongly herself down the near side.

It was a fine performance by the No Nay Never filly on this, her first run since her seasonal debut in May, when she finished second behind Lethal Promise in the Listed Polonia Stakes at Cork. Winner of a listed race at Naas last year as a juvenile, when she had Skitter Scatter and So Perfect behind her, she finished sixth in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot on her next run. Her seasonal return run behind Lethal Promise at Cork on her seasonal return was a good run, and this was a step forward from that. She has raced just seven times in her life and just twice this season, so she has plenty of potential for further progression. This was probably the best run of her career, and will be of interest wherever she goes next. She holds an entry in the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes at The Curragh on Friday evening.

Naas, 24^th July 2019