Mirann

Mirann was impressive in winning the nine-furlong handicap. Johnny Murtagh’s horse travelled well through his race for Ben Coen and, when his rider asked him to pick up, the response was hugely likeable. He joined leader Lethal Power at the furlong marker and, from there, it was all very easy. He got home by a cosy half-length, and he almost certainly had a fair bit more in hand than that, with the front two pulling well clear of Dare To Flare in third.

It was a really nice performance by the Motivator gelding on this, just his fourth run ever and his first since last August. Winner of a 12-furlong maiden last year in France for HH The Aga Khan and Alain de Royer-Dupre, he was making his debut for his new trainer here, and he wasn’t overly strong in the pre-race market. Bought for €55,000 at Arqana last November, he is an interesting recruit for Johnny Murtagh. His dam won a listed race over a mile and a half and, by a Derby winner, there is a lot of stamina in his pedigree, so he could improve for a step back up in trip. The handicapper raised him by 12lb for this, but you would have guessed a hike of that type of magnitude, and his new mark of 98 may still under-estimate him.

Gowran Park, 17^th June 2020