Even So

There is a chance that Even So will not get the credit that she deserves for winning the Irish Oaks.  The feeling beforehand was that this may not have been a vintage renewal of the fillies’ Classic, without Epsom Oaks winner Love and Irish Guineas winner Peaceful, and Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue, and no foreign raiders, which is a point, given that eight of the previous 10 renewals had gone to foreign-based fillies.  That said, Cayenne Pepper is a talented and progressive filly, and she was strong in the market, as was Passion, they both appeared to run their races, and Even So could hardly have been any more impressive than she was.

Ger Lyons’ filly travelled really well through her race for Colin Keane along the inside.  Angled to the outside early in the home straight, she picked up impressively to get the better of Cayenne Spirit, and she stayed on really strongly all the way to the line.

Fifth in the Irish 1000 Guineas, it was always likely that the Camelot filly would improve for the step up to middle distances.  She was gutsy in beating Laburnum in the Naas Oaks Trial when she stepped up to 10 furlongs, and she was more impressive here on the step up to a mile and a half.

Ger Lyons said afterwards that he might give her a small break now and bring her back later in the season, when the Fillies’ & Mares’ Stakes at Ascot on British Champions Day could be a target.  That race could also be a target for her stable companion Lemista if the ground comes up soft at Ascot.  She could be a filly too for the Prix Vermeille.  Either way, Even So is a talented and progressive filly.  This was her best performance, over the longest distance over which she had ever raced.  It was just her sixth race too, and she is on a really nice upward trajectory.

The Curragh, 18^th July 2020